More than 100 thousand infected with coronavirus in New York: Russian-speaking immigrant spoke about life in quarantine

A New Yorker who moved here from Novosibirsk told how the coronavirus epidemic began in the United States. She urged compatriots to adhere to quarantine in order to avoid the "American tragedy." Writes about it "Taiga.Info".

Film director and screenwriter Daria Khritankova moved to New York from Novosibirsk in 2012. She talked about when the epidemic began in the United States and how quickly everything happened.

Chronology of the Apocalypse

According to the Siberian woman, quarantine in New York was introduced around mid-March. “It all started very smoothly and calmly, until one day we found ourselves in the epicenter of the apocalypse,” she said.

The first woman to get sick in early March was a woman who came from Iran. In the subway, precautionary measures were announced, in stores all sanitizers and masks were quickly sold out.

There was no talk of quarantine then. But the situation quickly changed: in two weeks the number of cases exceeded three hundred. “But for a multi-million city it seemed like nothing,” added Daria.

On March 13, classes were canceled in schools, and universities were obliged to suspend studies until March 19 - during this time, teachers had to redo the online learning plans. “Now distance classes have been extended until the end of the semester, while many universities have supplied laptops and tablets to all students who did not have them,” said a resident of the metropolis.

On March 15, a state of emergency was introduced in the state of New York: Governor Andrew Cuomo banned restaurants and cafes from accepting visitors, and limited the number of participants in mass events to 50 people. Broadway theaters, the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall were also closed, and museums stopped receiving visitors even earlier.

Gradually, quarantine measures became tougher. The authorities have closed fitness centers, nightclubs and all non-vital businesses. “In fact, only shops, pharmacies and banks are working now,” said Daria.

What works

Today in New York, only grocery stores and pharmacies are open. Inside let a certain number of people. The rest line up at a safe distance from each other. The store employees control this.

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At the same time, prices for food did not rise, in contrast to prices for masks and antiseptics. "The authorities began to closely monitor this even before the introduction of quarantine," she said.

How quarantine is respected

Most people, Khritankova said, work from home. “Only the so-called“ essential workers ”go to work - people whose work is necessary to ensure the life of the city (post office, doctors, people from the housing sector),” she explained.

Tourist areas and places with a large concentration of office buildings are very empty.

Some streets in Manhattan even restricted traffic. But people go out with dogs for a walk calmly.

“Because of the quarantine, freelancers, especially people of creative professions, have been hit hard. The film industry has stalled. The musicians canceled their concerts, the tours broke, - she said. - Many companies, for example, the Metropolitan Opera, fired their employees in order not to pay salaries - they will be paid by the insurance company. The artists will be accepted back as soon as everything returns to normal. "

Support

The state provides financial support to everyone who is in a difficult situation, Daria said. Citizens also express their gratitude to the doctors: every day at 7 pm they go to the balconies, open the windows and applaud in honor of the people who save the city and country from a pandemic.

Many unite in various charitable groups to help those who are in a particularly difficult situation. For example, they go for groceries for elderly neighbors, take out garbage.

How does the police work

Since there is no direct prohibition on going outside, the police simply recommend not to go anywhere without special need. “In this regard, the police are not fining anyone. I have not seen the police anywhere since the beginning of the quarantine, ”said Daria.

Do not panic

As for the mood of people, it is calm, said Daria. Many go for walks and jogging, as it was not officially prohibited by the authorities. However, they try to keep their distance from others. “Pedestrians try to cross to the opposite side of the street if they see another pedestrian approaching,” said Daria. There are few people, like cars, on the street, she added.

Shopping

Today, according to Daria, the most dangerous place to visit is the shops, because "everyone needs it: both sick and healthy." Therefore, she orders home delivery of goods. But since couriers and food delivery providers were no longer allowed into the porch, they had to pick up the goods themselves.

At the same time, the former abundance of products is not observed. “Your favorite brand of milk or bread may not be available in the delivery service, and there has been no flour and sugar for two weeks,” she said. - And also, as soon as the state of emergency was introduced, for some reason everyone ran to buy toilet paper. It is now almost impossible to order it even on the Internet - it is not available. It is very difficult to buy cleaning products: anything that kills bacteria has long been snapped up. "

Personal experience

Walking in the park in New York is not prohibited, but Daria does not agree with such a measure. “I try to stay at home as much as possible. In the first week of quarantine, I still went out for daily walks, but then I stopped. Over the past three weeks I have been on the street only twice, ”she said.

Daria hopes that the forecasts promising a decline in the epidemic in mid-April will come true. “We are already approaching this date. After that, the number of cases should decline. I hope that it will be so, ”she said.

After that, Khritankova expressed hope, shops will begin to open, by September - places of mass gathering of people, and by the end of the year the city will be able to return to its usual rhythm. “Although other outbreaks of the virus are expected in the fall, I hope they are not so critical that they will not require quarantine,” she concluded.

The Siberian woman urged residents of her native Novosibirsk not to go outside unnecessarily in order to avoid the fate of New York. “Back in mid-March, the coronavirus in New York seemed like something distant and abstract. And in April, more and more of my friends become victims of COVID-19. I would really not like a repetition of the scenario of the American tragedy in my native Novosibirsk. Therefore, I urge everyone to take care of themselves, their families and friends and not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary, ”she said.

The number of infections in New York

According to officials, as of Sunday, April 12, the number of cases of coronavirus infection in New York exceeded 100 thousand, the death toll reached almost 7000. This publication writes New York Post.

The state reported that on Sunday 103 cases were reported in the Big Apple, or 208 cases per night. Over the last night, 4900 people died here, and the total number of deaths amounted to 531 people.

The city, which maintains its own statistics, counted 104 cases of infection, but fewer deaths - 410 as of 6:182 Sunday.

Most of the cases, as well as deaths from coronavirus in the state, occur in the Big Apple.