On the Frontlines: Overworked and Underpaid
New York City EMS responders battle COVID-19 despite pay disparities.
DATA: The Spread of Coronavirus in New York City
Coronavirus is spreading through New York City like wildfire. The data visualization uses NYC data to paint a clearer picture of how residents are affected.
This Night Was Truly Different Than Other Nights
As the coronavirus continues to interrupt the natural cadences of our lives, we seem to cling even tighter to our traditions— the things that, under normal circumstances, would bring loved ones and friends together. Now, in the age of coronavirus, people are reconstructing and reconfiguring the events that traditionally mark each year the best they can, from birthdays to anniversaries to religious holidays. Last night, Jewish families observed the first night of Passover a little bit differently. This year, as most Americans are home in isolation, many Seders across the country went virtual. Homemade matzah replaced the store-bought version, small Zoom
A Snapshot from the Bloodbank
What it’s like to donate in the middle of an emergency and a pandemic
In a Pandemic, a Farm-to-Restaurant Distributor Pivots to Home Produce Delivery
An upstate couple has transitioned their restaurant provision business to meet the demand for fresh produce at home
On the Frontlines: The Spanakopita Samaritan
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, restaurants in New York City are repurposing their kitchens to feed hospital workers on the frontlines
On the Frontlines: Stir-Fry Meals on Wheels
Volunteers deliver hot meals to homebound seniors during the coronavirus pandemic.
The COVID-19 Shortage Index
Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and face masks have become the gold standard of commodities in the age of COVID-19. As people adjust to a new life spent indoors, even more items are becoming increasingly hard to find, flying off both supermarket shelves and disappearing from online stores. Many newly desired items are even experiencing major hikes in prices due to increased demand. In this space, NYCityLens will list the latest shortages, giving viewers an inside look at how many are choosing to spend their money on during "quaran-time." Visit us often, as this page will be updated weekly to reflect
Lonely in Lockdown
College and graduate students calling themselves “Zoomers" flood into an app called Glimpse which pairs strangers randomly for two-minute conversations.
On the Frontlines: Feeding a Community in Crisis
A Flushing food pantry scrambles to feed thousands of neighbors suddenly out of work.
On the Frontlines: A Funeral Home’s New Normal
[caption id="attachment_22259" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Photo by Carolyn Booth from Pixabay[/caption] Tight embraces, hand holding, and intimate gatherings to celebrate a life well lived have always been standard practices in the funeral industry. But in the age of COVID-19, such ceremonial rituals can’t exist in tandem with social distancing protocol. As the death toll nears 2,000 in New York State alone, the governor’s office instructed funeral directors to limit wakes and funeral gatherings to as few immediate family members as possible. All funerals must now be private. On the frontlines of this pandemic is William “Bill” Villanova, a funeral director at Frank E. Campbell
On the Frontlines: Fighting Hunger in a Pandemic
[caption id="attachment_22226" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A staff member prepares items for pantry bags at Bread and Life's food pantry / Photo Courtesy of St. John's Bread and Life[/caption] On a normal day, the large and brightly lit cafeteria at St. John’s Bread and Life bustles with people, who sit at round tables and enjoy their freshly cooked meals. At breakfast, there might be scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes, and at lunchtime, chicken and fries. But these are not normal days. Over the past few weeks, the only signs of life at the Brooklyn soup kitchen have been the dedicated staff members as
In Tough Times, a Taqueria Lends a Hand
[caption id="attachment_22168" align="aligncenter" width="449"] One of the to-go boxes prepared at a Oaxaca Taqueria location for hungry schoolchildren. / Photo courtesy of Oaxaca Taqeuria[/caption] When they came to get their lunch on the first day, it was pouring rain. But the young boy and his older sister waited patiently in the downpour to pick up their free lunch at Oaxaca Taqueria at its Upper East Side location. They came back again on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday, never at the same time. Each day, the siblings waited outside, where signs on every window urged them to wait, until the workers signaled that
The Coronavirus Shutdown Is Devastating New York City’s Independent Theaters
Almost all of the city’s small theaters are non-profits that operate on annual budgets of a few hundred thousand dollars.
A Scarce Commodity
To help fill demand spurred by COVID-19, some distilleries in New York are now producing sanitizers.