New York, New York - New York City's Covid-19 rates have been steadily rising, and have now reached a positivity rate of 20% in some neighborhoods.

Long Island City currently tops the list with the highest coronavirus infections, with a 21.3% positivity rate.

Other Queens neighborhoods, and Manhattan's Financial District and Lincoln Square, aren't far behind, having reached or are close to 15%.

New data shows that over the past month, citywide transmission rates have risen 90%, reaching numbers similar to those in January, when the last wave of Omicron struck the city.

The current rise appears to be driven by a new, highly contagious subvariant. Fortunately, hospitalizations have gone down due to high levels of vaccination, but have soared for those that are unvaccinated.

On Monday, the CDC released an update that designated all New York state counties as high or medium risk except for four - Chautauqua, Allegany, Orange, and NYC's the Bronx.

State governor Kathy Hochul also announced Monday that she tested positive, but has been asymptomatic. She further urged New Yorkers to "get vaccinated and boosted, get tested, and stay home if you don’t feel well."

NYC mayor Eric Adams, who also tested positive at the end of April, has been actively pushing for a return to normalcy by lifting mask and vaccine mandates in some places, most recently for proms.

There has been a surge across the country, recording 4,981 new Covid cases and 23 deaths on Sunday. New York reported the most number of cases with 6,400 and 19 deaths.

Above all, the data demonstrates that vaccinations and boosters are effective in lowering transmission and hospitalization rates.