Special Report

Shutdown: The Coronavirus

Boston springs slowly back to life

A person passes the “Cheers” bar, closed amid Covid-19. May 23, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

Like New York,  Boston is a shell of what it once was pre-coronavirus. The city is quiet, businesses are shut down and people gather in parks rather than restaurants, social distancing as best they can. Unlike New York, the stranglehold the coronavirus had on the city is noticeably loosening its grip.

 In major cities in the northeast  and all over the world, there is an incredible amount of quarantine fatigue. Citizens of cities where there is no end in sight to their shut down are experiencing the mental and physical exhaustion that comes with prolonged shelter in place orders, and Boston is no different.

 People are chomping at the bit to enjoy the spring weather in New England, and many have been. Bostonians are still respecting the restrictions that helped keep Covid-19 numbers relatively low for a major city, but there is a sense of calm there that, for someone coming from New York, was alarming.

 I could not gauge if the calm I felt was a good or bad thing, or if it was just a product of being in a different environment. One where an ever-soaring local death toll isn’t being blasted on major news networks around the clock, and where people aren’t afraid to walk down the same crammed streets so as not to come within six feet of one another.

 It was jarring, and the anxiety I felt is sadly a clear indicator of the toll this pandemic has taken on my psyche and what I see as new social norms—I.e., stay six feet away and wear a mask. 

 On the one hand, I am glad life is going to back to some kind of normal for Boston. On the other hand, with the fear of a second wave looming, I am worried Boston is letting its guard down to soon. 

I felt a strong false sense of security seeing some people in groups out and about, quick to pull down their masks when talking or leaving stores, some walking the streets not wearing masks at all with no show of concern. The number of people obeying restrictive measures outweighed those who weren’t but, still, coming from the epicenter, I deemed my anxiety warranted.

 This is Boston during Covid-19.

A person pulls down their mask to speak in front of the Boston Common “Make Way for Ducklings” statue. May 23, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

A healthcare worker passes the Bostonian, a hotel now offering special rooms to frontline workers to disinfect before returning home to loved ones. May 22, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

A person walks through Boston Common, May 23, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

People walk through a near empty North Street, May 22, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

Boston’s North End, May 22, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

A person jogs by the George Washington statue in Boston Common, May 23, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

A family sits by the pond in Boston Common, May 23, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

A statue of Red Auerbach, legendary Boston Celtic coach, in Quincy Market decorated with a healthcare work scrubs top. May 22, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

“Thank You Heroes!” in the windows of Blue Cross Blue Shield, May 22, 2020. Photo by Thomas Hengge

 

 

 

Author


Tags


Other Stories in Special Report: Shutdown: The Coronavirus

Life returns to the East Village

Quincy Walter May 5, 2021

Reopening for Ramadan

Hassan Abbas May 4, 2021

And the band played on

Xavier Bartaburu May 2, 2021

Queens residents mourn at Covid vigil

Annie Burky May 2, 2021

Floating for Free: COVID and the Staten Island Ferry

Trish Rooney May 2, 2021

COVID-19 has left many Black and Hispanic landlords in serious debt

Norah Hogan April 24, 2021

Village East movie theater reopens to the public

Inga Parkel April 13, 2021

Chinese adoptions halted by COVID

Inga Parkel March 24, 2021

Remote is the new workplace normal

Courtney Guarino March 24, 2021

One year of COVID-19 in New York City

Michelle Diaz March 16, 2021

COVID long haulers deal with lingering symptoms and doubt

Kaity Assaf March 5, 2021

Pandemic Weddings

Chuyan Jiang March 2, 2021

Pandemic fatigue 101

Chuyan Jiang February 28, 2021

Yankee Stadium becomes COVID-19 vaccine site for Bronx residents only

Michelle Diaz February 24, 2021

The queer community rallies behind their sacred spaces closed because of COVID-19

Inga Parkel February 23, 2021

Street vendors struggle as New Yorkers and tourists stay home

Norah Hogan February 13, 2021

Keeping the faith in COVID-19

Courtney Guarino February 3, 2021

Little Italy’s restaurants need indoor dining to survive pandemic

Michelle Diaz February 2, 2021

Stray pets find homes and love during pandemic

Inga Parkel February 1, 2021

No Actors, But the Show Goes On

James Pothen December 5, 2020

New York City, a place of refuge 

Edith Rousselot December 4, 2020

Commuting in a pandemic world

Michelle Diaz December 3, 2020

Battling food insecurities during a pandemic

Courtney Guarino December 3, 2020

Adaptation

Justin McGown December 3, 2020

Honk!: Cars earn a special spot in 2020

Luana Harumi December 3, 2020

Working out looks very different during a pandemic

Chuyan Jiang December 2, 2020

One kitchen’s transformation in the age of isolation

Isabel Beer December 2, 2020

Nursing homes are filled with sadness and loss during pandemic shut down

Inga Parkel December 1, 2020

The show goes on

Norah Hogan December 1, 2020

Loyal members help keep independent cinemas afloat

Courtney Guarino December 1, 2020

Musicians deal with the reality of no live shows as covid takes center stage

Paola Michelle Ortiz December 1, 2020

 Black Friday’s Aftermath

Sughnen Yongo-Okochi November 30, 2020

The Spirit of Little Haiti

Savannah Daniels October 14, 2020

Small business owners hope for future relief

Courtney Guarino October 2, 2020

Brooklyn Book Festival held virtually

Chuyan Jiang September 28, 2020

NYC Restaurant owners worry about maintaining business during winter 

Isabel Beer September 27, 2020

The pandemic is causing mental health struggles for many Latinos

Paola Michelle Ortiz September 24, 2020

Politically divided family can agree on one thing, rallies are bad during a pandemic

Michelle Diaz September 23, 2020

New Yorkers are vulnerable to mental issues due to pandemic

Sughnen Yongo-Okochi September 23, 2020

Healthcare professionals struggle with Trump’s decisions during pandemic

Tori Luecking September 23, 2020

Some Americans Say “Not So Fast” on Operation Warp Speed

James Pothen September 23, 2020

Trump voters unfazed by morality of Trump’s Covid response

Norah Hogan September 22, 2020

Trump rallies continue, despite the rising Covid-19 death toll

Isabel Beer September 22, 2020

Latinos weigh in on President Trump’s management of the pandemic

Paola Michelle Ortiz September 21, 2020

Fast track vaccine causes fear

Kaity Assaf September 21, 2020

It’s business as usual at McSorley’s Old Ale House

Tori Luecking September 20, 2020

Trump defiance to hold indoor rallies amidst COVID-19 sparks polarized responses 

Courtney Guarino September 20, 2020

NYC Cafes and restaurants try and survive the pandemic

Isabel Beer September 19, 2020

A typical afternoon at Shade Bar NYC

Kaity Assaf September 19, 2020

West Village staple, Caffe Reggio, remains open for outdoor dining in the wake of coronavirus restrictions 

Norah Hogan September 19, 2020