The Bronx has been hit harder by the virus than any other place in the New York City metropolitan area. So far, the virus has killed nearly 4,300 people in the borough of 1.4 million, compared to about 2,800 of Manhattan's 1.6 million residents. And within the Bronx, almost no place has been hit as hard as Co-op City. Data released by city health officials Monday revealed that the virus has killed at least 155 people living in the zip code that covers the complex. That's roughly 1 of every 282 residents. This has motivated the management at the complex to take drastic measures to try to stop the spread. Whenever building management is notified that a resident has tested positive for COVID-19, a disinfecting crew is deployed to spray down surfaces in the building with a powerful cleaning agent. Tony Barzelatto, the safety director for the River Bay Corporation, which manages Co-op city, says even as the infection rate is slowing, he is still disinfecting several floors of apartments each day. By any of New York's metrics, ZIP code 10475, with one of the largest elderly communities in the nation and a population that is more than 92% nonwhite, was an easy target for the virus. Those who didn't remain sheltered in the housing cooperative often left for lengthy commutes on public transportation, perhaps stepping further into harm's way. Cut off from much of the borough by Interstate 95, Co-op City is the largest single residential development in the U.S. There are about 43,000 residents in 35 towers and seven townhouse clusters, though only 20% of the land is developed. The rest are large grass fields with walking paths, a community garden and its own Little League baseball field. Despite its locale, Co-op City also has some small-town feel, the kind of place where residents spend their working years, retire and never leave. A community where parents can walk their children across the property to visit relatives. "We have had our share because of this community where you have over 400 people living in a building, so there are neighbors living every which way you can see," said Bishop Angelo Rosario, a 29-year resident. The tight-knit nature of Co-op City made it difficult for some people to keep their distance from others, even after it had become recommended. And even though New York city has been under a stay at home order since March, many of Co-op city residents have still been forced to leave their homes to work. "This district is a working district. We are essential workers for the city of New York," said New York City Councilman Andy King, who represents Co-op city and a neighboring section of The Bronx. Co-op City is a convenient commuting base for those who have a car. For those who don't, just leaving the 52-year-old development can be a trip in itself. "You can't walk out of here," said Marcus Thorpe, a mover who handles international shipments and feared infecting his 93-year-old grandmother who lives with him. "You have to get on some kind of transit to bounce. If you don't have a car, you got to get on something. I call it Canada because it's so far away from civilization." Thorpe departs on a bus and transfers to a van, ending up with about a 90-minute commute to New Jersey The percentage of people that reach work in under half an hour is among the lowest in the nation, according to unitedstateszipcodes.org, and for the majority it was 60 to 89 minutes. Officials believe there were about 1,500 residents infected, but Riverbay Corp. general manager Noel Ellison acknowledges that count could be low. Even though shareholders were requested to report a coronavirus-related illness or death in their building so sanitizing crews could be dispatched, he believes some didn't because of a stigma attached to the virus, comparing it to a resident embarrassed to report bed bugs. Without that information, Co-op City officials were hindered in stopping the spread. When there were cases of Legionaires' disease in 2018, Ellison said the city Dept. of Health provided details of where the residents lived and the cleaning protocols. He said there was no such communication from the department or hospitals with the coronavirus.