On Thursday (30), New York City broke its record for new Covid cases, with more than 40,000 records. But whoever walks along the city’s tourist routes has the impression that life is almost normal: the sidewalks are full and in several places crowds gather to see the Christmas lights, take pictures and shop.
The city is hosting an upset party this Friday (31), in Times Square, for 15 thousand people, who will need to present proof of vaccination and wear masks. The total public was reduced, but the city hall kept the event despite the increase in cases, as an attempt to assert that the city remains open to tourism and business.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, in his last hours in office before Eric Adams took office, sold his fish in an interview with NBC TV. “We want to show that we are moving forward and we want to show the world that New York City is leading the way and fighting. It is very important not to give up,” he said.
The strategy of attracting visitors worked. On Thursday night (30), it was barely possible to navigate the sidewalks around the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, where is the most famous ice skating rink in the city — and, by extension, in the USA.
Dozens of people were looking for a space to take pictures, not bothering with the recommendations to distance themselves to avoid contagion. Nearby, another crowd formed to see the Christmas lights on the facade of the Saks store, one of the most luxurious on Fifth Avenue.
More than 50 people were waiting to climb the Top of the Rock lookout. And other lines formed to enter the Cartier jewelry store, grab a snack from The Big Halal street cart, and use the bathroom at Macy’s. In none of these parts of the symbol city of the USA did there seem to be any concern with social distance.
In Times Square, the most important point of the turnaround party, a large area was fenced off with railings to set up the stages. This left even less space for the crowd, which was congested on the sidewalks, illuminated by the advertising screens. And there were more crowds to take pictures of the ball of colored lights, which sits on top of a building and traditionally symbolizes the arrival of the new year.
Near the stages, a tent offering free Covid tests continued to operate into the night. The city has greatly increased the number of posts compared to last month. As a result, there was little wait to take the exam, unlike Christmas week, when there were long lines waiting for the tests.
The 40,856 cases confirmed on Thursday are the biggest milestone for New York City since the pandemic began. The total number of deaths from the disease remains stable, with an average of 28 per day. A point of concern, however, is that the total of positive results has been rising. In the last seven days, 26 out of every 100 tests were positive. In previous weeks, that number was 16 to 100.
On the streets, it is also evident that there are more people wearing masks, something rare in early December. What you see is about half of the people with their faces covered in the most congested areas. The protection item is not required outdoors, but is mandatory on public transport. And each establishment has autonomy to decide on the mask requirement.
To contain the pandemic, the city determined that restaurants only serve customers vaccinated with at least one dose. Some of them, however, aren’t getting anyone. “Due to the extreme high in Covid’s cases, we’ve decided to close this restaurant to ensure the safety of our customers and employees. We’ll reopen on January 3,” warns steak restaurant Mighty Queens, located a few blocks from the center of the upset party.
The traditional ball drop in Times Square lasts 60 seconds and ends just as the new year begins. Before that, this Friday’s party (31) will have six hours of programming, with musical shows and the expectation of leaving Covid behind in 2022.
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