Roosevelt Island Coronavirus Cases Rising Fast

According to the latest tracking, Coronavirus cases on Roosevelt Island rose to near 7%. Infections jumped in all of New York City, but it centered heavily on Manhattan. Increases in tourism coupled with decreases in precautions like face masks and social distancing are likely causes.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Coronavirus Cases, April 2022

One week ago on a Roosevelt Island Red Bus. Both passengers and the RIOC driver were maskless.

In the last month, positive reported tests jumped from 1.3% to 4.1%. Manhattan, though, including Roosevelt Island went much higher. Zip Codes on the West Side report as high as the low teens.

Roosevelt Island sits about in the middle, a problem because the community lacks the crowded restaurants, theatres and stores the rest of Manhattan has. Accounting for some of it are crowds flocking in to see the cherry blossoms ringing the Island, but most of those visitors are outdoors. Outdoor coronavirus transmission is minimal, if it exists at all.

As reported last week, that turns the light on RIOC’s ongoing failure with enforcement of mask mandates on the Tram and Red Buses.

Last week on a crowded Roosevelt Island Tram with no PSD presence and no operator announcement. On this ride, a resident appealed to these passengers to put on their face masks to no effect, and a PSD officer on the other side brushed her off.

Why RIOC’s Public Safety Fails…

Word leaked back to The Daily that PSD Chief Kevin Brown and Assistant Chief Anthony Amaroso dismissed our report as faked images. Although each is time, date and location stamped, if proof is necessary, other residents stepped up with their own photos:

At the Red Bus Subway stop in full view last week.

On the Octagon Express where there have been consistent reports of maskless riders ignored by drivers.

Whether RIOC’s hapless and absentee leadership likes it or not, Tram cabins and Red Buses are the highest risk locations for spreading the virus. And dereliction of their responsibilities for protecting community is, once again, a factor in increasing illnesses.

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