Editorial
Curfew might be the last,
necessary resort
To curfew, or not to curfew?
That is the question before city and state
government offi cials as they deliberate the
best way to contain the rapidly-spreading
coronavirus outbreak.
Mayor Bill de Blasio strongly hinted
Tuesday that he would move toward a
shelter-in-place policy citywide very soon.
The entire city, except for essential employees
of essential businesses and services,
would be told to stay home for two weeks.
It would be a similar society shutdown enacted
in Italy, France and the San Francisco
area in a broad effort to “fl atten the curve.”
Meanwhile, Governor Andrew Cuomo
doesn’t seem to be quite on board with
that plan. Soon after de Blasio’s remarks on
Tuesday afternoon, Secretary to the Governor
Melissa DeRosa noted that “any blanket
quarantine or shelter-in-place policy would
require state action, and as the governor
has said, there is no consideration of that
for any locality at this time.”
De Blasio said he’s in contact with
Cuomo about a shelter-in-place plan. We
know they’re working together to give the
best response to this crisis as humanly possible.
It remains to be seen whether they’ll
agree to a New York City “lockdown” for
two weeks.
Some might ask, why have a lockdown?
Why should the government order everyone
to stay home for two weeks?
The answer to that question is simple.
Last week, the country was bombarded
with news about coronavirus, and how easy
it is to spread in crowds. States of emergency
were declared, occupancy rules were
dramatically altered, entire sports leagues
suspended operations, schools were shut,
offi ces told employees to telecommute.
The message, while voluntary, was clear:
Stay the hell home.
And yet, people all over the city, state
and country went to bars, restaurants,
movie theaters, beaches and other places
over the last weekend anyway, fully aware
that they were increasing their risk of
becoming coronavirus carriers themselves.
The nonchalance exhibited over coronavirus
led Italy and France to declare lockdowns
amid the pandemic, and that will be the reason
why a lockdown will be necessary here.
We shouldn’t have to be told by a government
order to protect each other. The facts
show that social distancing will reduce the
spread of infection, and the strain on the
health care system.
But if we can’t change our lifestyles
based on the facts, then what other choice
do we have?
Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
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1960 chess playing
in Greenwich Village
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSEPH PAPIN
From the cover of The Villager on July 28, 1960
Chess playing in Washington Square Park goes back decades, long
before anyone had heard of the phrase “social distancing.” This illustration
is from the front cover of The Villager on July 28, 1960, and
depicts outdoor summertime chess playing in Greenwich Village.
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12 March 19, 2020 Schneps Media
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