Coronavirus Dispatch NYC #1
How worried should we be?
According to editors at The Paper of Record (remember them, the ones who pushed the illegal invasion of Iraq and are now insisting that a cognitively impaired older gentleman is the “safe”, “electable” candidate…yeah, them) we now have 154 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York City.
Cue the freak-out?
Meh, not really. For the most part, I’m seeing people take this in stride. Come on, we’ve been at red alert in this city since that beautiful Tuesday morning in September 2001.
True, it is easier to get a seat on the subway which is a plus. When we got to Trader Joe’s earlier this afternoon the line outside the store went to the corner and around the block but that’s not so unusual on any given Friday late afternoon.
The New York Post, that bastion of journalistic excellence, posted some photos on Monday of deserted subway platforms and stations at Times Square supposedly taken in the middle of the afternoon. Chilling to see. But puzzling since I was at that station on Monday and it was not deserted. It wasn’t the usual pandemonium but there were still plenty of people shoving to get onto trains.
I question the time at which these photos were taken. Keep in mind that the Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch (enough said).
Now I’m not running around licking subway seats or anything like that. In fact, I’ve taken to wearing gloves when I go out. That’s mostly so I won’t be touching my face which I can’t seem to manage otherwise. I’m washing my hands thoroughly at every opportunity and availing myself of any public hand-sanitizers since all the stores are sold out.
And I’ll be honest in saying that I was relieved when one of my favorite musicians, Rachelle Garniez, decided to postpone her upcoming CD release concert at Dixon Place this coming Sunday evening.
It was also probably a wise move to close down Broadway shows as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We’re very sorry, tourists, but please feel free to blow as much money as possible in other ways while you’re here. May I suggest a relaxing afternoon in Central Park followed by outdoor dining at any one of the numerous cafes and restaurants up and down Broadway, Amsterdam, and Columbus Avenues.
I’m guessing hotel rates are pretty sweet right now as well.
Striking the right balance
Ok…so, yes, some people are getting a little jumpy around here. I stopped in at my local grocery store on my way home tonight and walked right back out. The lines are to the back of the store. I don’t need anything that badly. Especially since AleXander took care of getting toilet paper and good seltzer earlier. Go AleXander!
I’m of the age now that several of my closer friends are cancer survivors and have compromised immune systems. We’ve got them covered.
This virus is not to be taken lightly and I don’t. I get the sense that a lot of the people I’m walking past or sitting next to in the city are shrugging this off and I’m glad I don’t live with them (I’m talking to the guy with his finger up his nose waiting for the 1 train at 72nd Street). If this thing gets legs under it, we are in for a beating and I’ve had enough of those in this go round. No more, thanks.
But when I get up to pee at 3 am and can’t get back to sleep, curiously enough, it’s not thoughts of the zombie apocalypse keeping me awake. No. This is: When the hell will those last eight stories get curated, dammit?
Priorities, my friends, priorities.
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