5 ms·

New York was the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. The situation has improved, but we aren't out of the woods yet, so I think it's correct to be cautious.

New York was the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. The situation has improved, but we aren't out of the woods yet, so I think it's correct to be cautious. My impression from walking around outside is that everyone has optimized for malicious compliance with the rules that do exist, and we don't really appear to be taking the threat seriously anymore. Everyone has gotten masks with exhaust vents, so they can comply with the mask regulations without actually protecting anyone from their disease. Restaurants, stores, and parks are packed. People are basically done caring, and since they won't take steps to slow the spread of the disease themselves, some regulation is required to prevent super-spreading incidents. (Regarding the food rule, I think the idea is simply to reduce the number of people that can dine at a certain place per day. If someone that works there is sick, that limits the number of people they infect.)

chimeracoder 6y ago
> New York was the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. The situation has improved, but we aren't out of the woods yet, so I think it's correct to be cautious. New York was the epicenter specifically because both DeBlasio and Cuomo ignored public health officials at nearly every turn, refused to start preparing for the pandemic until the first case had already hit, and even then spent more of their time bickering with each other in a weird power struggle instead of trying to contain the pandemic quickly. Multiple independent studies have shown that Cuomo's refusal to shut down the city when DeBlasio requested it was responsible for over half of NY deaths to date - and even that's not considering the fact that DeBlasio made the request rather late (the city's public health department was advocating it far earlier). https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/05/21/cuomo-de-blasio-blame-ignorance-but-not-themselves-in-wake-of-damning-report-1285383 https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/0... https://www.propublica.org/article/two-coasts-one-virus-how-new-york-suffered-nearly-10-times-the-number-of-deaths-as-california https://www.propublica.org/article/two-coasts-one-virus-how-... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/coronavirus-distancing-deaths.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/coronavirus-distancing...
- kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
  It was already circulating in the city before the bumbling began.
  - whatok 6y ago
    Meanwhile, DeBlasio was encouraging people to see movies while SF Mayor Breed was actually prepared [0] City Council chair of the Health Committee was encouraging Chinese New Year's crowds [1] [0] https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/de-Blasio-London-Breed-tweets-coronavirus-March-2-15189898.php https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/de-Blasio-London-Bree... [1] https://twitter.com/marklevinenyc/status/1226566648729133056 https://twitter.com/marklevinenyc/status/1226566648729133056
- jrockway 6y ago
  I'm not really debating whether the problem was handled correctly. That is in the past, what matters is what we do now and in the future. Are case rates low enough for people to safely crowd into bars on Friday night? If they are, then we should let people do that. If they aren't, then we shouldn't.
  - chimeracoder 6y ago
    > Are case rates low enough for people to safely crowd into bars on Friday night? Why are you bringing up a strawman? Nobody in this thread suggested that.
    - jrockway 6y ago
      That was intended to be a direct reply to your original concern about businesses being fined for not serving the right kind of food. I think you're saying that it's arbitrary and capricious, but I'm saying it makes sense in terms of reducing the number of people that go into bars without closing them completely. Maybe my personal experience is wrong, but bars are pretty crowded in New York City, and I think reducing the crowding can have a large impact in slowing the spread of coronavirus.

chimeracoder 6y ago

> New York was the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. The situation has improved, but we aren't out of the woods yet, so I think it's correct to be cautious. New York was the epicenter specifically because both DeBlasio and Cuomo ignored public health officials at nearly every turn, refused to start preparing for the pandemic until the first case had already hit, and even then spent more of their time bickering with each other in a weird power struggle instead of trying to contain the pandemic quickly. Multiple independent studies have shown that Cuomo's refusal to shut down the city when DeBlasio requested it was responsible for over half of NY deaths to date - and even that's not considering the fact that DeBlasio made the request rather late (the city's public health department was advocating it far earlier). https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/05/21/cuomo-de-blasio-blame-ignorance-but-not-themselves-in-wake-of-damning-report-1285383 https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/0... https://www.propublica.org/article/two-coasts-one-virus-how-new-york-suffered-nearly-10-times-the-number-of-deaths-as-california https://www.propublica.org/article/two-coasts-one-virus-how-... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/coronavirus-distancing-deaths.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/coronavirus-distancing...

kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
It was already circulating in the city before the bumbling began.
- whatok 6y ago
  Meanwhile, DeBlasio was encouraging people to see movies while SF Mayor Breed was actually prepared [0] City Council chair of the Health Committee was encouraging Chinese New Year's crowds [1] [0] https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/de-Blasio-London-Breed-tweets-coronavirus-March-2-15189898.php https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/de-Blasio-London-Bree... [1] https://twitter.com/marklevinenyc/status/1226566648729133056 https://twitter.com/marklevinenyc/status/1226566648729133056
jrockway 6y ago
I'm not really debating whether the problem was handled correctly. That is in the past, what matters is what we do now and in the future. Are case rates low enough for people to safely crowd into bars on Friday night? If they are, then we should let people do that. If they aren't, then we shouldn't.
- chimeracoder 6y ago
  > Are case rates low enough for people to safely crowd into bars on Friday night? Why are you bringing up a strawman? Nobody in this thread suggested that.
  - jrockway 6y ago
    That was intended to be a direct reply to your original concern about businesses being fined for not serving the right kind of food. I think you're saying that it's arbitrary and capricious, but I'm saying it makes sense in terms of reducing the number of people that go into bars without closing them completely. Maybe my personal experience is wrong, but bars are pretty crowded in New York City, and I think reducing the crowding can have a large impact in slowing the spread of coronavirus.