New York City officials are now addressing the problem of rising COVID-19 delta variant concerns across the borough.

Mayor Bill de Blasio says that vaccines are the answer to that problem. He adds that the vaccines are effective against the new variant, which is causing the virus to spread like wildfire, taking the blame for 70% of new cases.

For those people who have not received the vaccine, health experts say that if you aren't vaccinated, you will most likely get sick from this new variant.

In Soundview, the seven-day rolling average is 2.11%, the highest throughout the borough. In Brooklyn, the Brighten Beach neighborhood is the highest at a 3.7% positivity rate

On Monday, the city reported more than 500 new cases bringing the seven-day rolling average to 1.69%. Last week, that number was at 1.28%. Last month, the percent of people who tested positive was under 1% at 0.53.

The mayor says he has no intention of reinstating a mass mandate like what was seen in Los Angeles over the weekend. Instead, he says the city will focus on getting more New Yorkers vaccinated through education.

"You're going to see a lot of people who have been a little bit slow, a little bit hesitant now feeling more urgency. 50 million people have had the vaccine in this country. I think that's a huge reassurance for a lot of people that wasn't there in the beginning," says Mayor de Blasio. 

The governor is also encouraging people to get the coronavirus vaccine. So far, 4.8 million New Yorkers have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. The CDC reports only about 55% of New Yorkers are currently vaccinated.