The non-winter winter petered out and left us—quite
literally—cold. Several months ago, a woman in a crowded family practice
waiting room loudly wanted to know if anyone therein had the corona virus. Yes,
it was a simpler time and she was looked upon by one and all, including me, as
an annoying wacko. Nevertheless, she was on to something. In January, COVID-19
was very likely here but we were oblivious—the wacko notwithstanding—of what
lie in store for us.
Things are definitely looking up in New York, with phase
one of the “reopening” slated for Friday. But it's going to be a long, long
haul. Turning on the "valve"—to use Governor Cuomo’s terminology—will
mostly impact regions of the state a fair drive away from the virus hotbed, New York City and the
surrounding suburbs. There's no two ways about it: A lot of businesses are going
to go under.
If COVID-19 is going to hang around for the remainder of the
year or longer—without a vaccination—how exactly are diners and restaurants, for
instance, going to survive? Even if some of them open with social-distancing
measures in place, they will be operating at limited capacity. And, really, how
many people will be inclined to resume their old ways—like eating out—if the
staffs are masked and gloved and the customers are treated like they have the
cooties? It's inevitable that the world is going to look considerably different in its next
incarnation.
No school in springtime...
No summer camps, open public swimming pools, group sporting activities...now that seems like a recipe for some serious unrest.
A sign of the times...
And another one...
It's every night and still going strong. I make a point to step outside and observe. If nothing else, I realize this is a very unique and memorable moment in time. Hopefully, I'll be able to look back—if I make it out alive—and remember when. At least that's the plan.
Governor Cuomo regularly emphasizes the need for a federal bill to aid embattled states. Courtesy of COVID-19 landing at our dilapidated airports, New York is presently $13 billion in the hole. The governor notes that all the applause, banging of pots and pans, and "Thank You" signs are nice, but continuing paying essential workers would be even nicer.
The transit honchos are tossing around possible ideas on how to maintain proper social distancing on trains and buses in a more crowded future. Making reservations is one of them. Somehow, I don't think that notion will fly.
I saw this painted on an apartment building's lobby window.
I saw this posted on a liquor store's window. Liquor stores are—and always have been—essential and open for business.
My advice: Don't let the smoke get in your eyes and you'll be okay.
I looked into this place and not everything on its shelves—in my humble opinion—could be deemed essential. It's not, after all, a liquor store.
The Great Equalizer: Now everyone sits in the back of the bus.
Well, if you want to get technical, some riders are actually seated in the middle.
In a random testing of New Yorkers for COVID-19, "essential workers," including transit personnel, had a lower percentage of positives. This finding must mean something.
Like, maybe, masks and other protective equipment help.
Actually, I'd rather pay for better pizza.
Finally, I'm happy to see the local car wash operating again. Why was it shuttered in the first place? And how did it reopen before May 15th? Not everything is as it seems, I guess.
(Photos from the personal collection of Nicholas Nigro)
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