Brooklyn officials are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19

Every thirteenth New Yorker has contracted COVID-19 so far. The total cases registered in the city exceed 670,000

At least 160,000 of those cases were identified in Brooklyn. So it’s perhaps unsurprising that our borough’s elected officials have been among those exposed to the disease. And even with the vaccine rollout finally underway, their numbers have grown in recent weeks: in total, seven elected officials from Brooklyn have tested positive for the virus.

Council Member Justin Brannan, who represents Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, announced on Twitter last week that he and his wife Leigh had tested positive for the virus. In a statement to Bklyner, Brannan speculated that the various new, more contagious strains now spreading across the country (and, officially as of today, across the city) may have played a role.

“I was running around the city like a nut delivering PPE supplies and food back in March, April, and May and I never got sick,” Brannan said. “Look, this thing is not over, and no one should let their guard down. You don’t have to hide in fear from COVID but you need to learn how to live with it safely and responsibly. Wear a mask, get tested, avoid crowds, use your head. ”

Brannan had initially described his symptoms as “very mild,” but the illness evidently evolved into something much more intense: “a cross between Robert Johnson and a warped My Bloody Valentine cassette,” in Brannan’s words.

He said he has worked from home throughout his illness, spent time with his two greyhounds, and watched “existential dread true crime” shows on Netflix. He also said he was grateful to be weathering the disease with stable housing, pay and healthcare.

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