Coronavirus count: Death toll nears 3,000 in New York City

The number of novel coronavirus related deaths continues to climb in New York City with the death count closing in on 3,000.

As of 5:30 p.m. on April 6, there are 68,776 reported cases of the novel coronavirus in the city, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and 2,738 deaths due to complications after contracting the virus.

Queens remains the epicenter of the pandemic in the city, with 23,083 reported cases and 876 deaths. Brooklyn comes in second with 18,434 confirmed cases of the virus and 738 reported deaths.

Third is the Bronx comes with 679 deaths and 13,680 reported cases of the virus, according to the agency, followed by Manhattan with 9,691 cases of the novel coronavirus and 302 deaths. Staten Island now has 3,851 and 142 reported deaths due to the virus.

Since the virus first spread to New York, just over 15,000 people have been hospitalized due to the virus, according to April 6 DOH data.

Over 3,840 of those hospitalized lived in the Bronx, 3,697 in Brooklyn, 1,919 in Manhattan, 4,999 in Queens, and 846 in Staten Island.