Reopenings give glimpse of what’s the new ‘normal’
It’s back to business for some, but not business as usual
NEW YORK — This is what “normal” will look like for the foreseeable future.
In Connecticut, restaurants are reopening with outdoor-only dining and tables 6 feet apart. In Beverly Hills, California, the rich and glamorous are shopping from the curb along Rodeo Drive. And preschools around the U.S. plan to turn social distancing into an arts-and-crafts project by teaching kids how to “create their own space” with yarn and masking tape.
As the U.S. and other countries loosen their coronavirus restrictions, it’s back to business, but not business as usual. In fact, it is becoming all too clear that without a vaccine against the scourge, the disruptions could be long-lasting and the economy won’t be bouncing right back.
In Italy, where good food is an essential, once-packed restaurants and cafes are facing a huge financial hit as they reopen with strict social distancing rules after a 10-week shutdown.
Experts warned that as many as one-third of the country’s restaurants and bars could go out of business, up to 300,000 jobs in the sector could vanish and losses could reach $32 billion this year.
“We have to turn upside down all the activity that we did before,” lamented chef Raffaele di Cristo, who must wear a mask and latex gloves as he prepares food at the popular Corsi Trattoria in Rome. “Everything is changed.”
In Connecticut, restaurants that reopened Wednesday for outdoor dining are required to rearrange workstations so employees don’t face one another, and stagger shifts and break times to minimize contact among them. Markers must be installed to encourage customers to keep their distance from one another.
Some of new rules for dining out echo reopening guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are intended for child care centers, schools, day camps, mass transit systems, restaurants, bars and other businesses and organizations.
Still, many Americans remain wary according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll says 83% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned that lifting restrictions in their area will lead to additional infections.
Nearly 5 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected, and more than 326,000 deaths have been recorded, including over 93,000 in the U.S. and around 165,000 in Europe, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, based on government data. Experts believe the true toll is significantly higher.
With the virus far from vanquished, the reopenings could prove to be a stop-and-start, two-steps-forward-one-step-back process.
Education, too, is facing radical changes.
Cambridge became the first university in Britain to cancel all face-to-face lectures for the upcoming school year, saying they will be held virtually and streamed online until the summer of 2021.
Other institutions have taken different tacks. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana will bring students back to campus but redesigned its calendar to start the semester early in August and end before Thanksgiving.
In South Korea, hundreds of thousands of high school seniors had their temperatures checked and used hand sanitizer as they returned Wednesday, many for the first time since late last year. Students and teachers were required to wear masks, and some schools installed plastic partitions around desks.
France is limiting spaces in its primary schools, giving priority to children of essential workers and those in need. Some younger students even go on alternating days, while high schools remain closed.
People’s gratitude at being able to shop or eat out again is mingling with worries about job security.
Business was slow at a Paris farmer’s market with a mixed mood among the masked, gloved vendors. A man selling plants said he was glad to get out and see shoppers again, while a woman selling vegetables behind a makeshift plastic screen grumbled that her customers were buying less than usual.
British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce announced plans to cut 9,000 workers as it grapples with the collapse in air travel.
Meanwhile, police ticketed three people for cutting hair during a protest outside the Michigan Capitol, where about a dozen barbers and hair stylists defied stay-athome orders Wednesday.
About 350 people were attending the demonstration that was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition to protest the orders imposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Three barbers were cited for disorderly conduct — engaging in an illegal occupation or business — after being warned by state police.