Monday March 16, 2020
Public life stands still
Coronavirus paralyzes New York and LA
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Even the city that never sleeps is on its knees from the corona virus: bars, restaurants, clubs and cinemas are closed in New York. Los Angeles and Washington State are also introducing drastic protective measures.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the major US cities of New York and Los Angeles are severely restricting public life. All bars, cafes and restaurants have to largely cease operations, said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. All nightclubs and cinemas as well as small theaters and concert halls in New York have to close. This decision was not easy for him, wrote de Blasio on Twitter. “But our city is threatened like never before, and we have to respond to it with a war mentality.”
However, catering establishments may still offer take-away food, and delivery services are also excluded from the order. Due to the Corona crisis, New York had previously banned gatherings of more than 500 people and canceled all performances at Broadway theaters.
The west coast metropolis of Los Angeles also imposed drastic protective measures. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs will have to close for at least two weeks, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on his Facebook page.
The states of Massachusetts and Washington adopted similar measures. Washington Governor Jay Inslee said he would declare a state of emergency on Monday to close venues. All gatherings of more than 50 participants would be banned. Numerous casinos and hotels have been closed in Las Vegas. Schools, museums, sports arenas and other event venues have already been closed in several US states due to the spread of the corona virus. California Governor Gavin Newsom called on all people over the age of 65 to seek domestic isolation.
According to the Johns Hopkins University, more than 3,700 coronavirus cases have been registered in the United States. 69 patients died of the lung disease Covid-19 caused by the virus.
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