A Year Living with the Covid-19 Pandemic

By MATTHEW WIKFORS

On March 4, the first confirmed case of Covid-19 appeared in Bergen County, N.J. Three days prior, New York saw its first confirmed case in Westchester County. At the one-year mark of the pandemic, much of daily life has changed as New York and New Jersey residents became accustomed to the “new normal.”  The global pandemic would be the first since 1917.

The Start

March 10 saw the first Covid-related death in New Jersey, a horse trainer named John Brennan. The first Covid-related death in New York was confirmed 10 days later, the victim being an 82-year-old woman. At the same time, New York City had one of the largest outbreaks of Covid in the country. Over one-third of those confirmed cases came from Westchester County and the situation was dire enough to the point where Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered New Rochelle, the epicenter of the cases in New York,  a containment zone. 

The virus transmission continued to get worse. As Covid-19 cases rose, hospitals became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of patients they were treating. Gov. Phil Murphy estimated in spring 2020 that the state could be short 300,000 hospital beds in the coming months of the pandemic and that hospitals might have to start denying patients. Schools and colleges closed and their operations became virtual. Teachers switched to remote learning methods. Cuomo issued an executive order on March 15 to close all schools and switch to remote learning methods. Murphy’s executive order followed a day later.

Lockdown and big “Pause”

On March 20,  Cuomo issued an order that 100 percent of non-essential businesses must close or have employees work from home. Stay-at-home orders were issued March 22 and took effect the next day. Murphy’s non-essential business shutdown was issued on March 21 as well as stay-at-home orders for all residents. He also cancelled all weddings, religious ceremonies, parties, concerts, and similar events alongside Cuomo in order to strictly limit the surge of Covid cases.

The CDC encouraged individuals to wear masks to protect others and mandated masks for essential workers in addition to temperature checks and COVID screening. These same mask-wearing practices applied to non-essential workers once businesses opened up as well as the general public.

#BREAKING: I will sign an Executive Order mandating that 100% of workforce must stay home, excluding essential services.

This order excludes pharmacies, grocery stores, and others.

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 20, 2020

The Apex of the Pandemic

April was the peak of the pandemic for New Jersey and New York. Teaneck was the town hit the hardest making and Bergen County the hardest hit by Covid cases and Covid-related deaths. The highest number of daily new cases in New Jersey was April 16 with 4,287 confirmed cases. The highest number of deaths was on April 30 and recorded 458 confirmed deaths. 

New York City and the borough of Queens were hit the hardest in New York. The statistics for the highest number of confirmed cases and  deaths on April 4 were significantly higher than in New Jersey with 12,274 confirmed cases. The death tolls in March and April grew so severe that funeral homes were unequipped to deal with all of the bodies and refrigerated trucks .

Through the start of the pandemic and the peak, both Murphy and Cuomo held daily press briefings to keep the public informed of virus developments. They gave updates on policies, number of new cases, new protocols, the state of vaccines and condolences for lives lost.

“It was really difficult for me last spring,” said Woodcliff Lake resident Donna DiBella. “Not only was I moving to a new apartment, but I was worried about my parents, especially my father. My father has trouble getting around and his health has been getting worse the past few years. My parents were so worried about catching Covid that they hardly went out. It’s hard to see them now because they’re still afraid. My father celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago and I couldn’t celebrate with him since I had work that day and my father didn’t want me in the apartment since I was around customers at my job.”

The data and graph of confirmed cases in New Jersey produced by the New York Times.

The data and graph of confirmed cases in New York produced by the New York Times.

The Impact: Death and Beyond

The number of deaths is arguably the biggest impact of the pandemic. As of now, there have been 23,691 confirmed deaths in New Jersey and 48,092 confirmed deaths in New York. Some groups have faced a disproportionate number of deaths. According to the CDC, Latinos make up 44 percent of all Covid deaths among young people in the U.S. In New Jersey, Covid-19 killed seven times as many Latino males as it did white males. It was also twice the rate of young black men, according to a report by National Public Radio.

Aside from deaths, there are a multitude of other impacts Covid-19 has on daily life. Unemployment rates skyrocketed as businesses were forced to close and people lost their jobs. According to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, unemployment claims peaked on April 4, with 214, 836 new claims being filed in that one week period. Some businesses never recovered and were forced to close permanently. An estimated 30 percent of small businesses have suffered this fate. Even businesses that have reopened, especially restaurants and cafes, are struggling to recoup their losses.

“It’s around the time last year when we closed,” said Christopher Burden, manager of the Starbucks in Montvale, a town located in the epicenter of the New Jersey pandemic (Bergen County). “Hopefully, we can recoup our losses and make back everything we would have earned if we didn’t close. Business has been busier with warmer weather, but I’m not sure if or when we’ll see the sales numbers we used to.”

Debates over school have emerged over whether to continue virtual learning or shift back towards traditional in-person learning with restrictions. Some high schools have adopted a hybrid model of both in-person and online learning. Colleges like Rutgers have begun transitioning more students to move back on campuses. Colleges have been losing money due to limited housing and refunding students back in spring 2020.

Internships have either dropped for students all together or have changed to suit CDC guidelines based on the profession.

Pandemic Fatigue, Isolation affect Mental Health

With the passage of months and lack of socialization, mental health issues regarding loneliness and pandemic fatigue have come into the spotlight. Spring break, which is usually a time for students to destress from coursework, has been cancelled. Students are feeling fatigued by the restrictions of the pandemic, being unable to see friends or socialize like they used to.  

“Even during winter break, I felt fatigued,” said Hallie Wikfors, a New Jersey resident, who attends Washington University In St. Louis. “The pandemic restrictions forced us to move onto campus later, start classes later, and end the semester later. Everything felt rushed to fit the set timeline for the end of the semester. I had finals to take while I was at home sitting in bed. Now, the school is cracking down on students and strictly enforcing the rules for not allowing guests into your dorm. It’s tiring, stressful, and restrictive.”

Sports fans were disappointed when professional sports stopped altogether and professional players started going into “the bubble,” a term for an area that is in use for only the teams and their coaches. Before entering a “bubble”, players were tested and monitored for Covid The players were tested and monitored every day.

While the players were practicing or playing, “the bubble” was closed off was closed off to the public. No player was allowed to travel outside of the bubble either (barring a few exceptions). It was a way to prevent potential spread of Covid from outside and give teams a way to play safely and follow CDC guidelines.

Sports have begun to open up again as of 2021 with limited seating and Covid screening for audience members, but the same energy of the crowd and the players is still missing. As an example, this year’s Super Bowl LX was met with a sea of cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands as opposed to the traditionally massive crowd sitting in the bleachers.

Music and concerts face similar problems. Scheduled tours and concerts were cancelled when the pandemic hit. Fans long to see their favorite artists and said artists are attempting to perform once again while searching for ways to safely do so.

Opening Up, The Vaccine, and Where To Go Next

Businesses and venues have gradually started to open up as New Jersey and New York. Restaurants opened up to 25 percent capacity and events like weddings are allowed once more, albeit with limited capacity and all involved following CDC guidelines. 

The vaccine has infused hope again as three major pharmaceuticals developed effective shots in record time.  Johnson and Johnson recently announced that they have released a vaccine which does not need to be refrigerated on a time limit like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Murphy and Cuomo are pushing to get teachers vaccinated so in-person learning can begin again. Murphy said he hopes that schools can return fully to in-person learning by the fall. In his latest briefing, Murphy also said that he plans to expand indoor dining and other business capacities to 50 percent and addressed new CDC guidelines  that allow individuals who are fully vaccinated to meet each other without masks.

[VIDEO: Watch Gov. Phil Murphy’s latest daily briefing from March 10]

Related Stories:

New Jersey COVID-19 Timeline

Partial New York COVID-19 Timeline

Up-To-Date Information About COVID-19 Statistics in New Jersey

Up-To-Date Information About COVID-19 Statistics in New York