New Yorkers massively violate quarantine: the city administration is looking for a solution

Burnt by self-isolation, New Yorkers massively violated the rules of social distance last weekend, writes New York Post.

Still, the situation in New York City was nothing compared to the scene in Belmar, New Jersey, on a beach popular with residents of Staten Island and Brooklyn.

A huge crowd lined up at the entrance to the beach. According to eyewitnesses, there was not even a hint of observing the distance in this queue.

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A similar situation has developed around the popular bars in the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, East Village, Greenpoint and Brooklyn. Customers arrived there, bought take-away cocktails, and then drank them on the sidewalks near the entrance, where a crowd of several dozen people who wanted to chat had already formed.

Most of these people were without masks or lowered them to the chin to be able to sip a cocktail in the process of communication.

Near some bars, the musicians staged improvised concerts using amplifiers, which attracted even larger crowds.

Most of those who enjoyed the good weather in the city over the weekend are young people, and almost all of them were without masks. This angered older people, who are even more at risk of this behavior in the face of the pandemic.

City councilor Mark Levin, head of the Health Committee, linked such reckless behavior to “quarantine fatigue” and expressed concern that this could lead to an increase in COVID-19 mortality rates, which have been declining in recent days.

City officials have called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to prepare a plan for the safe use of streets, beaches, playgrounds and outdoor parks - or rule breakers will face additional threats beyond the pandemic.

The result will be secret mass parties, swimming without lifeguards and other dangerous activities, he warned.

Police Association President Pat Lynch noted that police cannot control such a large number of violations throughout the city.

“As the temperature rises, the situation will only get worse,” he said. "Any policy of using only police officers without support to ensure social distancing is not only doomed to failure, but also puts police at risk."

In response to a question about crowds, the mayor’s spokeswoman praised the current police efforts to ensure compliance, but called on New Yorkers themselves to “protect themselves, their neighbors, and many sacrificing workers to ensure our safety.”

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Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo urged New Yorkers not to weaken social distance, despite improved epidemiological data in the city.

“We must take care not to return to the hell we went through,” he said.

Throughout the state, more than 22 deaths from COVID-19 were recorded during the pandemic.

The improvement in the epidemiological situation led to the start of quarantine removal in four out of seven state regions. Details of this process are described. here. At the same time, Cuomo extended the order of self-isolation until mid-June.