New York City was the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus crisis during the early days of the pandemic, and while debates about how quickly it will bounce back rage on, the new emergence of local hotspots over the past few weeks has sparked growing concerns among public health officials.
To help monitor signs of a second wave, spatial analytics firm Esri recently worked with the city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to create an interactive map and app called “find your zone,” which lets people search for COVID-19 outbreaks down to your address.
Clicking an area of the color-coded map within the five boroughs will tell you which of the state’s designated COVID zones are currently in effect for that area.
- Yellow zone (precautionary)
- Orange zone (warning)
- Red zone (cluster)
These designations actually matter because they determine which safety restrictions are expected to be followed, and in New York City right now, those can change from block to block. In red zones, for instance, schools are closed, mass gatherings are prohibited, and only essential businesses can operate. Yellow zones allow mass gatherings of up to 25 people and businesses can stay open if they follow certain guidelines.
The COVID-19 Zone Finder map is is especially useful because it lets you see each of these specific restrictions with a simple click.
Check out the Zone Finder map here.