‘Triumphant moment’ as city that never sleeps wakes to a new dawn

FOR 11 weeks, “the city that never sleeps” had been ordered to stay at home as it battled one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world.

But yesterday, New York took its first tentative steps towards normality as total lockdown was finally lifted and the phasing out of restrictions began.

As many as 400,000 people were expected to return to work, some having their temperatures taken before entering buildings, as the streets, so empty for so long, began to fill once again.

Public transport saw passenger numbers increase. Shops opened their doors for the first time since March.

“We’re not out of the woods,” Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor, said yesterday. “But we are on the other side, certainly.”

No part of the US has been worse affected by the pandemic than New York.

At its peak around 500 people were dying every day from Covid-19. In total the virus killed more than 21,000 people in New York – more from one city than any country other than America, Britain, Brazil, Italy, Spain and France.

For weeks in late March and April the city was locked in a deadly emergency, as hospitals struggled to cope with the surge in patients and healthcare workers lacked gowns and masks.

The hospital ship USNS Comfort was deployed to the city, something not seen since the Sept 11 attacks, as city leaders begged for more ventilators and personal protective equipment.

Not everything reopened yesterday. Hairdressers, many offices and indoor seating in restaurants and bars are still off-limits until the next phase. Broadway shows and museums are even further off.

There were mixed views about how quickly the city would bounce back.

Anthony Gianfrancesco, a 45-yearold construction shop steward, told The New York Times: “We’ve been home for two months, going a little stir crazy.”

Ken Giddon, who co-owns the Rothmans clothing chain in the city, told the paper: “I think New York City needs a week or two of healing before a week or two of selling.”

The outbreak is not over, however. On Sunday, 72 people were admitted to New York hospitals with Covid-19 and 324 remain in intensive care units.

There are also fears that the protests against police violence and racism which broke out in the city as they did across the nation in the last week could trigger a new surge in cases.

Now around 100 days since the city’s first Covid-19 case was confirmed, plans are being put in place for a surge in people returning to work over the coming weeks. One challenge is how the city’s infrastructure can accommodate social distancing.

Bill de Blasio, the New York City mayor, announced yesterday that more bus lanes would be added and some streets would be closed to cars to speed up public transport.

“This is a triumphant moment for New Yorkers who fought back against the disease,” Mr De Blasio said. “My message is to stick to it.”