The state canceled the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York and is banning all gatherings of more than 500 people
In efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the state of New York has been implementing strict measures within its cities. Today, many famed institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, and the Metropolitan Opera have announced closings. Mayor Bill de Blasio had declared a state of emergency in the city which has nearly 100 reported cases of the virus. On Thursday, the mayor suggested that there would be 1,000 positive cases by the next week as testing increased. He stated, "we are going to lose some of our fellow New Yorkers...that, unfortunately, is inevitable." The emergency order that is being established will grant the mayor to take drastic measures such as an implemented curfew, limiting traffic to emergency vehicles or suspending certain laws. Restaurants and bars, in particular, were demanded to decrease their occupancy by half and all planned concertos will now be canceled. However, there has been a concern for Broadway, a billion-dollar industry at the heart of New York's tourist trade. All Broadway shows will be closed until April 12 unless the edict placed by the mayor has not yet been lifted. Blasio did acknowledge the toll these new measures would take on small businesses and restaurants however claimed that this was necessary for the safety of the people. The mayor of Jersey City, Steven Fulop, had announced that there would be a set curfew of 10 p.m. on bars and nightclubs. Additionally, in Newark, Mayor Ras Baraka advised that all "nonessential public gatherings: of more than 50 people should be canceled for the next 30 days. The city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, which typically draws two million, has been postponed for a later date at the moment. In the city of Westchester, National Guards have been delivering food and sanitizing buildings, even as 27 more cases were reported.
The spread of the coronavirus has been an incredibly relevant global concern that many leaders are attempting to address. I believe that although these new mandated measures will significantly impact restaurants, hotels, and other various places in which people gather, these restrictions are necessary to at least attempt to contain and prevent the spread of the virus. The prediction given by the mayor that 1,000 cases would be reported within the next week reiterates the severity of the virus and the need to take action and as many precautions as possible. As the overall situation of the virus seems to be worsening as time passes, these restrictions should be in fact implemented until a viable cure or vaccine is publicized.
Questions:
1) Do you agree with the new measures that have been implemented within New York?
2) What additional restrictions or concepts should be considered by leaders in effort to contain or prevent the virus from further exposure to citizens?
Put simply, when it comes to the Coronavirus, there will be consequences no matter how many or how few protective measures are enacted. While the widespread closures, cancellations, and postponements will ultimately cost millions to businesses and households alike, they are in the interest of protecting something far more valuable. We have long agreed as a society that human life comes before all else, meaning that if there is a viable threat posed by large gatherings and excessive socialization, those things must be avoided, no matter the other consequences. Yes, most people who would contract the virus would also ultimately recover, we cannot simply ignore the hundreds of thousands, or even millions of individuals who would succumb to it. It is simply selfish to claim "not my problem," and spread the virus to those whose bodies are not strong enough to overcome the illness. Thus, I believe that the cancellations, while frustrating, inconvenient, and financially devastating, will end up saving lives that would have otherwise been lost to COVID-19.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the new measures that are being implemented because, as Sydney said, we all have to consider this our problem and everyone has to do their part. It is important that we lessen the spread of coronavirus to the best of our abilities, and I believe it would be ignorant and unwise to ignore these warnings and policies. I know there are many stores that are closing their seating areas so people can buy products but not stay, so I think it would be helpful if everyone implemented this policy. I addition, I think more stores should limit the number of people they let in at a time.
ReplyDeleteI think that the measures being implemented in NY are definitely necessary to help contain the spread of COVID-19. With this highly contagious virus, it is imperative that everyone is doing their part to help stop the spread, for there are vulnerable populations that are at risk such as the elderly and those who have or had respiratory illnesses. I also think that citizens should be warned several days ahead of time before "shelter in places" or quarantines are imposed so that there is less panic and more time to prepare as necessary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the new measures that have been implemented in New York because we are doing whatever is necessary to flatten the curve. The more contact we have with others the more chances we have to spread the virus. Right now, we do not have enough hospitals, tests, or resources to care for the people who have covid-19 if it keeps on spreading exponentially, which is the rate at which it is spreading right now. I believe that we should have a nationwide shelter in place to help slow the spread while researchers are attempting to find and create a vaccine. As we slow the spread, we will have more resources to treat the people who have contracted the virus. I believe a nationwide quarantine or shelter in place is possible as California as a whole state is in shelter in place as of now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the new measures New York implemented to contain the spread of the corona virus. Although it is inevitable for the corona virus to spread, it is important to minimize the amount of social contact that normally goes on in a day to try and decrease the speed at which the disease is spreading. Decreasing the speed at which the virus spreads would allow time for a vaccine to be created. It is good that all the necessary stores such as grocery stores remain open, while the facilities that tend to have large gatherings such as restaurants, are being more restrictive in the amount of people allowed there. With this being a worldwide pandemic, it is best to be safe and take measures now to do out best to slow the virus.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the measures that have been taken and continue to be taken in New York (along with most other parts of the world). If actions like this are not taken, especially in this extreme situation, matters will not improve - or it will taken a much longer time to contain the virus, and prevent spread of it. Countries such as Italy are not even letting individuals leave their homes without a completely essential need - this is the type of restriction that should be enforced in the United States as well. The measures that are being taken are only to protect people and prevent the spread of what has already become a pandemic. In terms of other measures that should be taken, I think that as long as individuals prevent social interaction, self-quarantine, and only leave their homes when absolutely necessary, it will hopefully be enough to prevent the spread (as is already being done).
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comments that the drastic measures taken by NYC are justified, considering the massive health risk and density of the area, it is expected that even more drastic measures be taken. Taking examples from other countries, like italy, as Areen mentioned, or China, the most effective way to limit disease spread is by locking down as much non-essential travel as possible. I would suggest that the majority of the U.S. follow suit with the measures that have been shown to work in other countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with these new measures that have been taken by NYC. The measures are clearly justified. Many other countries have already done this especially in the case of Italy and China. This will help us in the long run limit the amount of cases that enter hospitals and will help not overpower our healthcare systems that are currently in place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the measures being taken. As more states continue to follow suit and close nonessential businesses, it becomes more evident how important strict precautions are in reducing the spread of the virus. According to the NYT, at least 22 states have urged its residents to stay at home, but I think that that message should be coming from the federal government so that all 50 states and all of our territories stay at home.
ReplyDeleteIn hindsight, it was a good idea to implement strict measures nationwide to combat the spread of coronavirus. However, due to the negligence and incompetence of the federal government (much of it on the president's part) when it first started to show signs of becoming a global pandemic, the measures taken ended up being far too late to control the spread of the virus. Now, the entire country is left to suffer the social and economic consequences. Even still, with the US having surpassed Italy and China in the number of total confirmed cases (source below), a shocking number of Americans are still in denial of the severity of this crisis. In the effort to contain the spread of the virus, Trump should consider speaking more clearly and directly to the American people about the risks that the virus poses to the nation and why the measures that have been taken are necessary.
ReplyDeletehttps://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6)
I completely agree with New York’s decision to ban large gatherings, and I wish that other states will follow suit. The spread of the coronavirus is inevitable, but everything that we can do to stall the spread of the virus is essential so as to not overwhelm the healthcare system, which is already being strained. China’s response to the coronavirus has been very effective, and I believe that everyone should self-quarantine themselves if possible so that the spread will be reduced tremendously. People in the country should start learning good habits such as washing their hands frequently and practicing social distancing. This pandemic will not be easy, and sacrifices will have to be made in order to get through it. However, I think that these measures are worth it because human lives are at stake, and I fear that grave consequences will come without the proper response.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Porter, it is shocking that only a few states have a shelter-in-place protocol. Now that america is the new epicenter and has more cases than even China, shows just how much we need to extend this ruling. As for NY, NYC alone has 25k confirmed cases, so it is about time. In the last conference with the task force, one member stated that our shock doesn't line up with the actual incoming data which is utterly ignorant I believe to the immediate threat this imposes on the nation. The initial reaction was that we can't completely alter our lives because of something with a low death rate, but as we see, we were blinded and need to learn from the lack of our intitial response to this pandemic
ReplyDeleteWell this was way too late. If only we started social distancing a long time ago, maybe we wouldn't be the country with the most cases of COVID-19 in the world right now. As of the time I'm typing this, we have 100,000 cases. We need to implement universal basic income as soon as possible so people can actually shelter in place without the fear of not being able to eat or pay rent.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the best the city's leaders can realistically do. While it is true that starting it earlier may have been more effective, it's a little late for that, so reactions from this point onward are what really matter. Yes, these measures should definitely be implemented in order to flatten the curve of the virus' spread, so our hospitals can adequately deal with the situation. On top of closures, I believe that the government should do all it can to kick manufacturing into high gear for medical products such as personal protective equipment that hospitals and clinics are going to need greatly, and try to actually push out more amounts of more affordable testing.
ReplyDeleteThe measures that have been put in place are good, but there should be more done in other states to ensure that there is no spreading of the virus even further. The US is dealing with this the worst out of any well developed country. China had a quick response, and many people in the United States are still misinformed and think they are safe when in reality we are one of the largest epicenters of the covid virus. HYC hospitals and other hospitals around the country are fighting the virus while people are simply ignoring quarantine and partying on the beach. It would be a good idea to implement strict measures, even now. It is better sooner than alter to do so.
ReplyDeleteI think New York is taking the correct precautions. The problem with the spread of this virus is that it is impacting small businesses and taking many out of work, but in order to protect everyone’s safety, closures will be necessary. Hopefully we can see industries try and shift quickly to a new online system or form of communication and work that will allow people to resume daily business remotely. Honestly, I don’t think there is any other action that can be taken at this time. It is necessary to keep people at home to halt the spread of this virus. Safety will always take precedence over the economy, so whatever sacrifice must be made will be taken. We can only hope that this closure will speed up the recovery time for the economy and get us to resume normal lives quicker.
ReplyDeleteI think that the new measures that have been implemented in new york are definitely justified as the government should take whatever precautions needed to prevent the spread of the virus. Since it is very, very contagious, it makes sense that places where there are usually large gatherings such as restaurants are closed down. However, essential places such as grocery stores should definitely remain open. Also, travel should be limited as that is an easy way to spread the virus.
ReplyDeleteEven Though it is really sad and truly a different way of life, I believe that the measures to keep people safe are extremely necessary. In order to control the spread of COVID-19 everyone needs to do their part. It is extremely hard with these restrictions put on everyone because it requires people to live a different way of life, but it is important to remember that this restrictions are in fact affecting everyone. It is much smarter to feel as a whole nation and work together so we can get over it faster.
ReplyDeleteYes, the new measures in New York were good to implement, even if it seemed early at the time. The US wasn’t ready for the virus at all and I think a lot of people had the mindset that the virus seemed so far away, and many look down on China for various reasons so they convinced themselves they were somehow protected from the virus. It was good for the governor of New York and all the other state legislators to make it clear that this situation should not be taken lightly.
ReplyDeleteI think that we need to consider the long term outcomes of the virus and that our lawmakers need to prioritize the citizens by making a national shutdown. This, in my opinion, will help to minimize the amount of people in hospitals at time, stop the spread of the virus, and ultimately have a more positive longterm outcome. The more we wait, the more consequences we will be facing later on.
ReplyDeleteWhile closing down the whole state certainly isn't ideal, I do believe it is the best way to combat this virus, which has proven to spread rapidly and have potentially catastrophic effects. I feel other major areas that haven't already implemented this measure should, and prevent the coronavirus from spreading even more than it already has.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is difficult for everyone, I think that strict measures such as lockdowns are necessary for us to make it through this situation with as little deaths as possible. We need a nationwide implementation of strict measures, so that we can flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19 while we can. If we don't, there will be more sick people than hospitals can handle, needing WAY more ventilators than we have, and causing much more death than there needs to be.
ReplyDeleteI think action on the more conservative side like this may be easier for the general public to adjust to and understand, but I do not think hovering in an area between commitment to quarantine and just continuing regular life is better than either option. If New York plans on taking these measures, I think they should do it to the fullest. Limiting how late people can stay in bars does not remove the fact that they will still be gathering together. Personally, I think our "quarantines" will only work to a certain extent, as until we find a vaccine or treatment, the spread is almost inevitable unless we take full precautionary and preventative sanitization measures like China.
ReplyDelete