There is a lot to know about the most famous city of the United States, New York City. It is the most populous city in the United States with an estimated population of 84 lakhs in 2019. It is the largest and the most influential metropolis. Manhattan, which is among the world’s major commercial, financial, and cultural centers, is in the core of New York. The city of New York is both, the gateway to the North American continent and its preferred exit to the oceans of the globe. New York is the most religiously varied, ethnically driven, famously congested, commercially driven, and in the eyes of many, the most attractive urban center in the country. The city has an industrial diversity which is signified by its numerous locations like Wall Street signifies finance, Broadway means theatre, Fifth Avenue is synonymous with shopping, Madison Avenue means the advertising industry, Seventh Avenue signifies fashion and so on. The metropolis is symbolized by the Statue of Liberty, but the city is an icon. It is an arena in which people of every nation are transformed into Americans and if they remain in the city, they become New Yorkers.
For the past two centuries, New York has been the largest and wealthiest American city. NYC has the most famous skyline on Earth.
Situation with COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)
The United States is one of the worst-hit countries in the world due to the Coronavirus Outbreak. And, New York City has been considered the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. The number of cases in the city alone is higher than in many worst-hit European countries.
At present the tally stands at 1,593,429 overall cases in the US, with 94,963 deaths and a total of 370,371 recoveries as on 21 May 2020. New York City is at 364,279 cases with 63,007 recoveries and 28758 deaths at present. The numbers have risen from a mere 8000 to this staggering magnitude in a span of just two months.
The surge in cases in the city is attributed to its huge attraction of tourists and executing a lockdown late. Articles published by dailies state that there could have been a low fatality rate if the lockdown would have been put on the force in the city at least before than a week from it started. The most hit population is within the age bracket 60 and above. A weak immune system in such patients and already present health complications are cited to be the reason for this.
IBO predicts that the US might have entered an economic recession already although the officials state otherwise. The prediction also states that there would be 425,000 job losses in the next 12 months. Almost 14% of the population has already been unemployed.
With so many people losing their jobs, Mayor Bill de Blasio while addressing the media on 21 May, said that almost one in four New Yorkers lack adequate food. Thus, as a solution to the problem the amount of food distribution is being increased by 1.5 million. 32 million meals have been given overall during the crisis.
NYC public schools will be giving $400 per student irrespective of their income as per the student relief program.
Reopening the city
The path to vaccines seems a year-long as of now and locking down cities till then is an impossible task as many livelihoods are at stake. It becomes necessary to resume their work and move towards an altered normalcy to keep lives thriving. Losing lives to the virus is a major concern but losing lives due to crumbling livelihoods is a similar concern as well.
All the cities in the country have begun to reopen with obvious restrictions in place. Waiters and waitstaff are seen with gloves and masks along with the customers who barge in.
While the city is nothing like its former loud bustling self, some building sites have reopened, albeit with new routines. The workers begin the day with a thermal forehead scan, they wear masks even when they are on break and they stand on floor markings to maintain social distancing. Everyone was seen wearing a mask all the time.
The reopening of the city would be to a normalcy that has never been seen before, but something that is essential at present to ensure the safety of everyone. Alternate side parking has been made effective as on 20 May, and this seems the new way for vehicles. Families and visitors are being allowed to visit their loved ones who have been diagnosed with the virus.
One of the worst-hit sectors due to the pandemic is the education sector. Students cannot gather as of now and schools seem to remain shut until the situation at least comes under control. The academic year that had to end in June end, is being planned to end sooner. Also, for the upcoming session of 2020-2021, about 16 percent of the overall school-going population will be asked to attend online classes. Discussions are still being made on how the academic year will be planned as this will not be a typical academic session.
Things to be careful about after life resumes
Even when the lockdown is over and the government permits us to resume our daily activities like office going, school, college, and markets, it is better to continue taking the necessary precautions as life won’t suddenly return back to normal once the lockdown ends. People around the world might be vehemently waiting for the lockdown to come to an end. Some might be planning to meet their friends, going out for shopping, or just paying a visit to the nearby salon. Try to avoid these for a few more days. You need to return to your normal life steadily.
Here are a few things you should not do immediately after the lockdown ends.
- Do not plan a vacation immediately:
What was the reason behind the worldwide spread of COVID-19? It was the movement of people from one country to another. Even if we can travel when the lockdown rules are relaxed, try not to plan a family vacation for a few months. Wait for some more months. In such times, it is better to stay at home and be safe, rather than risking your health and vacationing. - Continue the new steps of hygiene:
Some good habits in which the spread of COVID-19 inculcated in people are the punctual washing of hands, properly washing vegetables before using, being careful about medication even in light sickness, and keeping the surroundings clean. Practicing hand hygiene can not only prevent coronavirus but can also keep several other diseases at bay. Even if the spread of coronavirus comes to an end, do not stop this good habit of regularly washing your hands as it will keep you healthy and fit for long. The same goes for washing vegetables thoroughly before cooking. It kills the effect of all the pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals used in the process before delivery. They can harm your digestive system, skin, and other parts of your body. Resume these habits for the future also. - Do not go partying:
You might be dying to meet your friends and just go and chill at some party at a club. For all the party freaks out there, visiting crowded places like cafes and clubs could be an open invitation to the infection. Thus, the wise choice is to stay at home for a while and avoid meeting your friends for at least some more time. Not only outside, do not throw a big party at home. With many asymptomatic COVID-19 cases coming up worldwide, you might never know who is infected and who is not. Even if the lockdown ends after a few days, it is better to continue practicing social distancing. Avoid throwing big parties, assembling for family functions, or having big dinners together. Protect yourself and your family by avoiding social gatherings as much as possible. It is important to stay in touch with the near and dear ones. Today, there are several options to hang out with your friends while maintaining proper social distancing through the virtual world. - Do not discard your face masks:
As the famous saying goes, “Precaution is better than cure,” keep using your face masks in public. There is absolutely no harm in using your extra masks or homemade face masks while going to a crowded place or shopping. This is not only a precaution for coronavirus, but also for common viral diseases like cough and cold, which enter our body through the respiratory tract. Continue using face masks, washing your hands, and practicing social distancing at least for a while to prevent yourself from getting sick. Additionally, remember that it is a bad habit to cough or sneeze openly in public. It is recommended to maintain your respiratory hygiene when you are in public. If you are not wearing a mask, cover your mouth with a tissue while you cough or sneeze or with a folded arm. - Shop for essentials only and from home:
Why step out and take a risk when there are several online grocery platforms to serve you at your doorstep. These platforms are taking stringent measures for hygiene and safety for manufacturing, packaging, and delivering also. Avoid going out as much as you can. Step out only if there are unavoidable circumstances in case of an emergency.
New York City the Best City in the World
New York is said to be the greatest city in the world. And lots of people from outside of New York and from outside of the US seem to agree with this fact. New York has the best food, Art Deco architecture, music venues, theater scene, and nightlife — and these are just five of the reasons why New York is the greatest city in the world. It is also known for its culture, sociability, happiness, community, progress, and attractiveness. Read on to find more.
- Nightlife: When you start exploring it, you see there’s New York’s incredible nightlife. Not only does NYC have an almost endless array of bars and clubs, but it also stays open much later than most other cities which means that New York has more than earned the title of The City that Never Sleeps. Many of the bars stay open until 4 am and some of the nightclubs stay open even later. New York has such a vibrant nightlife that it has its own nightlife mayor whose job it is to support the venues and ensure New York continues to be the best city in the world for nightlife.
- Theatre: New York has Broadway which has many of the biggest theater venues in the city. The best thing about New York is that you can see all of the biggest theater productions everyone is talking about or you can go to any one of dozens of smaller theaters to watch independent productions you won’t find anywhere else.
- Live Music Venues: New York City is said to be the biggest city in the world for music business combined with its huge population and incredible venues. New York is a part of the bucket list of all the big stars for their live tours. The biggest venues to look out for are Madison Square Garden, The Town Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and The Beacon Theater just to name a few.
- Food: New York is on a completely different level when it comes to food. City’s incredible cultural diversity is a part of this. People travel to New York from all around the globe, which is why New York has the best Indian, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese food in the US and that’s just the tip of the iceberg; we just can’t list dozens of countries. Apart from borrowing cuisines from other countries, the city has also created its own food as well as reinvented some staple dishes from other countries.
- Other attractions: The Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is older than the Tower Bridge in London. Do you know what was the first capital of the United States of America? It was New York City, not Washington D.C. Then comes the New York City library which is a home to more than 50 million books. It is the third largest library in the world. New York is the most linguistically diverse city in the world with more than 800 languages spoken there. The list can go on endlessly.
After reading this, one can easily understand why New York is known as the capital of the world. We are sure that not only the citizens, even the Lady Liberty feels proud. Based on surveys of more than 34,000 people in 48 different cities across the globe, the Time Out Index 2019 also indicated that New York was the city most people wanted to visit this year in competition with Melbourne, Chicago, Berlin, Paris, Manchester and many more. The city has over ten nicknames including The Big Apple, Gotham, and The City that Never Sleeps.
Rising to new heights – one thing New York is really good at!
Falls are inevitable. Everything that has reached certain heights is at the danger of falling but falling does mean that rising is inevitable too. New York City has been at the top for a long time. It is a dream to everyone on the planet to witness the magmas of the Times Square once in her lifetime. New York has an aura that is magnificent. Beauty that has branched over the years. NYC remains to be one of the worst-hit cities due to COVID-19 at present. A main cause attributed to this condition is NYC being the hub of any tourists across the world. It has been an attraction to everyone for a long time and every day there are hundreds of tourists entering and leaving the vicinity of the city. The borders of the city do not confiscate the awesomeness of the city to itself and is open to all.
But the situation is grieving at present, the damage has been done and now the challenge is not to undo the damage but to rise above the damage. To go up the tide, to conquer the world once again. This is not a one man’s task anyway. Whenever NYC is named, it does not mean the place, the piece of land, or the demography. But, the people. The inhabitants who make NYC what it is. The residents who are a feather in their cap, the businesses that profess the glory of the city all over the world, the hotels and residents that give tourists a second home, and many more. Subsequently, the job to retrieve normalcy is a task not of the city, but of the citizens.
Unity is the biggest asset of a city and this is the right time to prove that to the world. The sanity of people across the city is still endured by the loving hearts that are ensuring that we stay safe. The neighbors who have turned caring now, the empty streets that show the solitude of the society. This establishes that the city not only cares for itself but for others as well.
Now, getting back to the normal is not easier. This is a time to not only think of the safety of oneself, but everyone else whom we meet. This is a necessity not charity. The path to rising again is not easy but the city can soar again like before. The task at hand is not to run the city again but to walk hand in hand with nature. Cleanliness has been considered the best forever, but effectively adapting them into their lives was not a successfully achieved feat. Finally, we have found that the cleanliness of everyone together is the new normal.
Role of cleaning business in keeping New York safe
Cleaning businesses are at their busiest at present and they will be forever as of now. Now, it is not mere cleaning just the surfaces, but cleaning everything till they get disinfected. Cleanliness is the primary aim of the world as of now. Businesses have admitted that due to the coronavirus outbreak the profits have grown up and the client base has increased. But it is not a situation to be happy about. Concern of the workers and their safety has also increased, and it has become difficult to keep their minds at rest.
After the situation calms down, cleanliness would not calm down along with it. The long-lost importance of cleanliness has been reminded of the common man, and he has realized that it is essential to have a clean home, but a cleaner environment is the priority. The city is their home and they require to be as conscious about the city as they are for their homes. Clean societies are safe societies, a lesson learned.
This target could only be achieved with the teamwork of the citizens and the cleaning businesses. These businesses work for the cleaning of the city and their aim remains quality cleaning above all. Thus, cleaning businesses are in a responsible position. They have loyal customers who believe that the cleaning task would be taken care of by these businesses and these businesses need to stay true to that. The safety of the city lies in these businesses and they should be aware of this feat.
Cleaning Businesses are thus an important stakeholder in ensuring this.
Why is it Important for Businesses to Hire Cleaning Professionals to Keep Their Space Disinfected and Clean?
With the worldwide spread of COVID-19, professional cleaning companies are in high demand. The normal cleaning process is minimal, with a quick vacuum and emptying of trash. Deeper dirt, dust, allergens, and pathogens remain in carpets, on blinds, and deep within the upholstery of office furniture. It is important to choose the cleaning professionals carefully. We, at Bell Cleaning Company, ensure that you get your workplace clean and hygienic too. Taking into consideration, the present conditions in mind, we ensure that we make your place disinfected and clean. There are numerous benefits of hiring a cleaning professional. But this is a kind of a necessity when the workplaces reopen after lockdown. So, one must realize the importance and benefits of hiring cleaning professionals at this stage.
This increases employee productivity as employees are happier when they work in a fresh and clean place, one which is free from accumulated dust and dirt, and when the air smells sweet and is healthier to breathe. Although many businesses understand the need for ongoing employee training and recognize the importance of a healthy and stress-free environment for their employees, yet some thought must be put to the most important factor in productivity, that’s pure, clean air.
While everyone knows that polluted air is a risk to human health, many business owners may not realize the significant impact of unhealthy indoor air. The air may be contaminated with particulate matter, within the walls of a business, all of which is continuously circulated by the HVAC system. Research have revealed that polluted indoor air quality leads to a significant drop in productivity. It is believed that dirty, unhealthy indoor air diminishes human cognitive function. Studies published by the agency have stated that indoor air often contains levels of pollutants higher than what is found in the outside air. Even some large business houses may have a hidden indoor air quality problem, leading to reduced productivity. A regular, deep, and professional cleaning leaves your office air clean and fresh, making your employees bright, eager, and more productive.
Regular professional cleaning can reduce the absenteeism of employees. How? A clean environment reduces the spread of diseases from employee to employee. Also, when an area is clean, it is less occupied by insects which can be a cause behind serious diseases. You can easily relate this to the current scenario, COVID-19. Just imagine, even if one person in your office was infected, all are at risk, or if the virus has entered with some object like files or other things from outside, it can become a cause for the decline of your organization and a huge risk for your employees. Keeping this in mind, every business must ensure that the workplace is being cleaned at regular intervals and for once, compulsorily after the opening of lockdown. At times, an employee joins work even when he is sick because of the urgency of the task, this can lead to the spreading of the virus by contacting various surfaces, which are contacted by others, and so it goes. A deep professional cleaning can help in reducing this risk to a great extent. In an organization, employee health has become an issue of concern, more so now than ever. A clean, fresh air matters when you want to provide a safe and healthy environment for your employees.
CONCLUSION:
Even when the lockdown is over and the government permits us to resume our daily activities, you would still need to be careful and take care of your health, as the risk of COVID-19 infection would still be there. The cleaning guidance is intended for all Americans, whether you own a business, an institution, a committee organizer, or want to ensure the cleanliness and safety of your home. Reducing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 by cleaning and disinfection is an important part of reopening public spaces that will require careful planning.
Demand for cleaning is certainly surging, especially since the scope of the pandemic became clearer into March. Reopening America requires all of us to move forward together using recommended best practices and maintaining safe daily habits to reduce our risk of exposure to COVID-19. Remember: We are all in this together.
But, the responsibility of building a safer environment does not rely on the organizations and government alone. The outbreak should be a prospect that has brought in the significance of cleanliness as a tool to ensure everyone’s safety. Littering the roads and having a vague attitude towards keeping oneself clean should be avoided not only at present but forever. Masks and gloves are the new weapons, every citizen should get into use.