They’re still on prowl Hookup-seeking Romeos who aren’t letting bug slow them down
Love can conquer all — except a highly contagious respiratory disease.
Jeanette McCarthy and Eddie Lopez Ruiz — who met and fell in love five years ago in San Francisco — tied the knot Saturday in Greenwich Village with a guest list of one: the officiant they hired to perform their low-key wedding.
The bride wore a floor-length gown and carried a small bouquet from Whole Foods.
The officiant, Antonia Santiago, called their union “a safe haven.”
After the nuptials, the crowd that had gathered — appropriately distanced — applauded.
“Congratulations guys!” yelled a passer-by. “If you get married now through this, there ain’t no problems you’re going to have in the future.”
“We decided to do it soon just because of what’s happening.,” said Lopez Ruiz, who just lost his job as a hotel front desk manager
Anthony pondered the perils of dating apps while the contagious coronavirus spread through the five boroughs. And he just as quickly brushed them all aside.
“I wouldn’t mind going on a date right now if she was OK with it and she was hot,” the 32-year-old Washington Heights man confessed Saturday as New Yorkers considered their amorous options amid the city’s mandates on social distancing, shuttered bars and staying at home.
There were those who were even bolder: One 25year-old would-be Romeo donned a sleeveless chain mail shirt to transmit his message of love via Tinder.
“Plague is here, medieval times to return, I am so hype you have no idea,” he posted.
A second online Lothario posed leaning against a luxury car while offering this Tinder come-on: “If coronavirus doesn’t take you out, can I?”
Hundreds of other people joined the online “Love Is Quarantine” project, where strangers were randomly matched for phone call “dates,” with varying degrees of success. The 21st century dating game was the creation of two Brooklyn roommates, Thi Q. Lam and Rance Nix.
Yes, love is strange. And then Saturday brought additional warnings for single New Yorkers: The Health Department advised that simple kissing can easily pass along the COVID-19 virus, and advised the sexually active to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds both before and after their encounters.
With this kind of cautionary advice now out there, 34-year-old Brooklyn real estate worker Adam held little optimism for making a love connection anytime soon.
“This coronavirus is probably a relationship killer,” he acknowledged.
Charlotte Jones, 25, of Manhattan, said she had no interest in finding love online as thousands of her fellow New Yorkers tested positive for the fast-moving virus. But she understood those who were trying to meet people via the internet as the citywide restrictions kicked in.
“I have friends who are going on FaceTime dates,” she said. “It’s not an avenue I’ll pursue right now.”
For those forced to seek satisfaction through video dates, sexting or chat rooms, the city Health Department advised disinfecting your keyboards and touch screens if using a shared computer. Lovelorn New Yorkers were given another option by the city Health Department: Your best bet for coronavirus-free sex is right there in the mirror.
“You are your safest sex partner,” health officials advised, recommending a spouse or a significant other as the best second option.
Stacey DeMarino, 29, of Washington Heights, said meeting people through dating apps in this crazy environment held little appeal for her. And she offered a little advice for those still in search of love in the time of coronavirus: “For the health of the city, maybe just chill.”