New York City has turned into a ghost town with typically-packed subways cars left completely empty and tourist-filled hot spots like Times Square and Central Park eerily deserted.
On Friday, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency and ordered that $50billion in federal resources be allocated to combat the contagious outbreak that has impacted 49 states.
The Big Apple, usually buzzing with traffic and tourists, has transformed into an shockingly silent city as many workers have been ordered to work from home and some business have temporarily shut down.
The state reported that the number of coronavirus cases surged from 325 to 421 on Friday, with 154 of those cases in New York City.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency last week, closing down Broadway and banning gatherings of more than 500 people.
‘Going to this level is not done lightly, but it has reached the point where it is necessary,’ de Blasio said.
Trump Excoriates Democrats for Supporting Child Mutilation During SOTU Speech: ‘These People Are Crazy’
Dem Protests to SOTU: Bad Singing, Radical Giraffe Furries, Fake Tears, Pro-Trump Crashers, and Almost Zero Audience
Voters react as Trump calls Dems ‘crazy’ for not applauding ban on secret teen gender transitions
Trump hands to-do list to Congress with 7 priorities during State of the Union address
Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor saw suspicious man walking nearby 2 weeks before suspected abduction
Trump celebrates ‘turnaround for the ages’ in State of the Union address and more top headlines
Trump’s ‘home run’ SOTU speech sparks praise from conservatives online while leaving Democrats seething
Fox Nation releasing four-part documentary on David: King of Israel
Jasmine Crockett trashes Trump, boycotts his speech: ‘The current state of our union is grim’
House Democrats ignore Hakeem Jeffries’ plea to sit silent at State of the Union
Car barrels into crowd outside California bar, gunfire erupts in chaotic scene caught on video
DHS touts ‘most secure border’ in US history amid departure of nearly 3M illegal immigrants
Trump awards back-to-back Medals of Honor during State of the Union address
Inside the Chamber: Trump gets under Democrats’ skin at State of the Union
Spanberger slams Trump on ‘affordability’ in SOTU response — as Virginia Democrats push new taxes
The subway system has seen a major plunge in riders. On Wednesday ridership fell by nearly 20 percent on subways and 15 percent on buses compared with a similar day last year.
Typically each day the subway system sees around 5.5million riders each weekday.
On Thursday ridership was down on the Long Island Rail Road by 31 percent and on the Metro-North Railroad, which travels through the northern suburbs of New York, was down 48 percent.
Ridership on the subway was down 18.5 percent, about 1 million riders, compared to March 2019, when the subways handled about 5.39 million.
New Yorkers have also gone into a panic over stocking up on food, toilet paper, and hand sanitizers as they prepare to bunker down as the government calls for ‘social distancing’.
Many businesses have shut down in light of the outbreak and to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
On Thursday Broadway went dark for at least a month following the restrictions on public gatherings, hitting the theater industry hard.
All 41 Broadway theaters have at least 500 seats, in fact most accommodate over 1,000.
Trump Excoriates Democrats for Supporting Child Mutilation During SOTU Speech: ‘These People Are Crazy’
Dem Protests to SOTU: Bad Singing, Radical Giraffe Furries, Fake Tears, Pro-Trump Crashers, and Almost Zero Audience
Voters react as Trump calls Dems ‘crazy’ for not applauding ban on secret teen gender transitions
Trump hands to-do list to Congress with 7 priorities during State of the Union address
Nancy Guthrie’s neighbor saw suspicious man walking nearby 2 weeks before suspected abduction
Trump celebrates ‘turnaround for the ages’ in State of the Union address and more top headlines
Trump’s ‘home run’ SOTU speech sparks praise from conservatives online while leaving Democrats seething
Fox Nation releasing four-part documentary on David: King of Israel
Jasmine Crockett trashes Trump, boycotts his speech: ‘The current state of our union is grim’
House Democrats ignore Hakeem Jeffries’ plea to sit silent at State of the Union
Car barrels into crowd outside California bar, gunfire erupts in chaotic scene caught on video
DHS touts ‘most secure border’ in US history amid departure of nearly 3M illegal immigrants
Trump awards back-to-back Medals of Honor during State of the Union address
Inside the Chamber: Trump gets under Democrats’ skin at State of the Union
Spanberger slams Trump on ‘affordability’ in SOTU response — as Virginia Democrats push new taxes
New York landmarks such as the Metropolitan Museum, the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie hall also announced they would be suspending visits and performances.
While de Blasio has not ordered schools to close, as other states have, public-school attendance plummeted last week over coronavirus concerns.
The United Federation of Teachers and a dozen City Council members urged de Blasio to close school.
‘We understand the immense disruption this will create for our families,’ UFT President Michael Mulgrew said.
‘But right now, more than a million students and staff crisscross the city every day on their way to schools, putting themselves and others at risk of exposure and increasing the likelihood of bringing exposure into their homes and communities.’
There are 1.1 million students in New York City’s public schools, many of whom depend on the schools for free or reduced-price meals.
While the streets of New York seem empty, governor Andrew Cuomo warned that the state’s hospital system could be overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.
Story cited here.
