NEW YORK CITY, MARCH 27, 2020 – The novel coronavirus, which leads to the illness known as COVID-19, has hit New York City harder than the rest of the country. Of course, New York City will one day no longer be the hardest hit area: cases are expected to surge in other parts of the United States in the coming weeks. Many of these other places did not take the disease seriously, or simply have not prepared, apparently for political and economic reasons.
But at the time of this writing, there are 25,573 confirmed COVID-19 cases inside New York City, and 366 deaths from the disease, making the city the epicenter of the pandemic in the USA. Even as I write this, these numbers are no longer correct; any published source, including the New York City Department of Health website where I got the numbers from, is out of date immediately. That is how fast this virus is spreading and how quickly the deaths are increasing.
New York City has been described as “the canary in the coal mine” for this virus and the disease it causes, and for how things will play out elsewhere in the USA. But for an individual living inside the city, what is day to day life like? Let me share my perspective.
The Subways Are Much Emptier
While I am staying home most of the time, there have been a few times that it was necessary for me to go out and use the subway. To my surprise, the subway was much emptier than it normally would be during the hours I was using it. I was surprised because the subways haven’t been ordered to shut down. I figured a lot of people would be using the subway, but they weren’t.
Subway cars that would usually be packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people had perhaps five or six people in them. Major hubs such as Grand Central Terminal and Union Square, usually filled with crowds of people hastily walking to catch their next train, had almost no one in them.
The Streets Are Empty
At the time of this writing, restaurants and bars have been closed for around two weeks. This means the activities that fuel the social life of a typical New Yorker — eating out and getting drunk — have ended. Because of this, no one is out on the streets anymore. There’s really nowhere to go, no reason to stay out.
This also means that city traffic is almost non-existant. No more hordes of yellow cabs or black Uber cars. No rush-hour traffic jams. No back-to-back caravans of MTA buses. Traffic is simply sparse and light.
People Are Wearing Masks
Two weeks ago, I was one of very few people who wore a mask outside. I covered a medical mask with a bandana because I didn’t like the way the white mask looked on me by itself. Yes, I am that vain and insecure. While I was out, there were a few people here and there that were also wearing masks, but it was a rare sight.
Yesterday, I had to venture out again to pick up necessary supplies from the local supermarket, which, thankfully, is still open. I noticed nearly everyone was wearing a mask. Suddenly I was no longer a strange anomaly. It was now strange to see a person without a mask. I was very happy to find that New Yorkers were finally taking this seriously.
Masks do work, by the way. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that they don’t offer some protection. Even a bandana alone is better than nothing. So, mask on.
No One is Working
It’s not just bars and restaurants — everything is closed. The museums, the art galleries, the clothing stores. It gives the city an odd vibe, like one huge ghost town, or perhaps something out of a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie. Messages from friends about “the virus” and news reports about a seemingly unstoppable deadly pandemic that no one can escape from seem to cement this feeling, making it feel even more like being trapped inside a bad Hollywood script.
This blog entry was meant to give a glimpse of what life is like in the city for me, just a regular New Yorker. Please note the date of this entry, because surely things will change, and soon. This entry will be outdated and irrelevant the moment I publish it, but it might be interesting to look back on and reread in the not-too-distant future.
A lot of people have asked me what I think will happen in the coming weeks and months. I predict New York City will get better while the rest of the country goes through what we are going through now, and many areas will go through it on a much greater scale. We can’t say you weren’t warned.
But let’s see what the future holds for us all.
Note: If you have any questions or just want to talk, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. And follow me on Instagram.
One thought on “Coronavirus and life in NYC – What’s it like?”