NYC Coronavirus Deaths At 0 For First Time Since Pandemic's Start

NEW YORK CITY — A day passed in New York City without a single confirmed or suspected coronavirus death for the first time since the pandemic hit the city, data shows.

The city's deaths completely ebbed on July 11, according to health department data. It counted as a milestone for what once was the pandemic's epicenter — where viral death has been a daily part of life since March 13 and reached nearly 1,000 a day.

For many, it was a solemn achievement.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday called it hard to take a celebratory "victory lap." But he wanted to take a moment to appreciate the first 24 hours in months that passed without a single coronavirus death.

"That is so striking and so moving," he said. "And it is a statement again on how the city fights back."

"My heart breaks for what we’ve been through and the New Yorkers we’ve lost, and we still have a long way to go," City Council Speaker Corey Johnson wrote on Twitter. "But this is good news for NYC today."

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The dip was recorded as new coronavirus infections and deaths surged elsewhere in the country, particularly Arizona, Florida and Texas. Cases in Florida on Sunday surged by 15,300 — a one-day record for any single state since the pandemic began in March.

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