Parents and teachers held a rally in Downtown Brooklyn Monday, saying that they are concerned that many schools have started in-person learning despite rising amounts of COVID-19 cases in the area.

Protesters met outside the Department of Education building on Court Street to call on city officials to turn their attention toward what they're calling new COVID-19 hot zone ZIP codes in districts 20 and 21 in Brooklyn.

The specific ZIP codes in question are 11204 in Bensonhurst and 11219 in Borough Park.

ENL/ELA teacher Sarah Yorra says these two ZIP codes, one of which she teaches in, have some of the highest positive COVID-19 test results in the city, above the 3% threshold set by city officials with the United Federation of Teachers that would require immediate and intensive testing starting Oct. 1.

Protesters also addressed other pitfalls the system has seen since the start of classes and in-person learning.

They converged with another education rally as a different wave of activists marched across the bridge from Manhattan to join them on the steps of Borough Hall.

The group drafted an open letter to the mayor and Chancellor Richard Carranza, expressing their alarm at this situation. So far, several hundred parents, teachers and residents signed it.