COVID-19 ACTIONS AND REACTIONS IN AND AROUND PHILADELPHIA
From The Reporter’s Notebook
By Thom Nickels
Wild speculations and predictions suggest that it came from a biological lab in China or that it was a sinister “gift” to humanity from the so-called Deep State. The most scientifically sound answer is that it originated from the wicked and abnormal eating practices of people in a remote region of China.
Whatever the origin, the virus has succeeded in turning the world upside down. In Philadelphia, with bars and restaurants closed, there’s a ghost town feel to once vibrant Center City. The quiet is especially noticeable at night, especially with Mayor Kenney’s new ‘stay at home’ order. Everywhere you turn there is a feeling of desolation and fear. My brother, who lives in the Malvern-Exton suburbs, tells me that some people there have even taken to drinking Clorox to cleanse their throats and clear their nasal passages after spending time in public spaces.
A manager at a Rite Aid in my Fishtown neighborhood told me that while cashing out a long line of customers, he heard someone in line mention that the store sold a bug spray that was used as a sort of prophylactic when the West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999. (The West Nile virus, if you remember, was spread by infected mosquitos). When the person in line indicated where the product was sold, half the line made a beeline to purchase the spray, “a spray,” as the clerk told me, “that has absolutely nothing to do with COVID-19.”
One week ago I heard reports that COVID-19 fear is highest on the east and west coasts but in America’s midland and in the South, people are behaving in a much less fearful fashion. This was certainly true when spring break millennials crowded Florida beaches in orgies of drink and revelry. When a local Florida reporter asked one party girl why she had little regard for covid-19 restrictions, she replied, “This is my time,” meaning of course that her youth trumped all social and medical concerns. As Jonathan Swift once observed, “No wise man ever wished to be younger.”
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (Orlando, Florida) announced a 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, proving that the tables are turning in the once “less fearful” south. Just a few days ago families with young children were congregating in Liberty Lands park in Northern Liberties but such innocent gatherings are now history. Solitary walkers (a stroll around the block or walking the dog) are likely to be banned from city sidewalks, creating another sort of health hazard where dogs are concerned. Where will pet owners dispose of the poop? The mayor insists this is not martial law because people will not be arrested but be issued citations with fines.
The dangers of covid-19 cannot be minimized but sensationalistic overreactions like the stocking up on toilet paper, a pandemic within a pandemic, is a twisted act that’s done nothing but empty store shelves. Panic buying is uncontrolled narcissistic hoarding. This evaporation of common sense is what happens when people let fear grip them like an elliptic seizure. Filling three shopping carts with toilet paper should be a punishable offense.
As the Plague continues to peak (hopefully it will have reached its peak by April 9) the fear mongers among us might suggest we need to stock up on other necessities, like toothpaste or shaving cream. Perhaps a marketing genius will announce that Jello-0 is especially crucial to have during a plague. If the covid-19 crisis has taught us anything, it’s that “I can buy as much as I want” capitalism comes to a halt when a plague begins.
COVID-19 became serious business for Philadelphians when the City of Philadelphia announced that all non-essential businesses would be closed. The closure of restaurants and bars put scores of food service industry workers, most of them millennials, in the unemployment line. For a number of years now, self-styled “urban influencers” have been questioning whether Philadelphia has put too much emphasis on being a great restaurant town. What else does the city have to offer those seeking employment besides jobs in bistros and cafes? Waiting tables is something one used to do in high school or college. In the United States it was never (until now) a serious permanent profession on a par with going to medical or law school.
In mid-March it was announced that Pennsylvania Wine and Spirit stores would close. Wine and Spirits stores were declared “nonessential businesses” in Pennsylvania but in New York they were classified as “essential businesses.” Why the difference? I attribute this to the legacy of Pennsylvania’s old Blue Laws (the Blue Laws acting as a DNA-like imprint). Perhaps the old Quaker prohibitions against alcohol helped to form this policy. The decision to close the Philadelphia state stores came a day or two after the decision to close state stores in 5 surrounding Pennsylvania counties. City consumers had little time to make a bee line to their local state store to stock up before the closure. If there’s any common denominator about this virus, it’s that everything seems to be decided at the last minute. New decisions on how we are to behave change from hour to hour.
With that said, nobody should have to drink lemonade or Coca Cola during a mass extinction event.
The city’s arts and culture scene has been decimated like those toilet paper store shelves. The trickle started when small theater companies began announcing they were closing for the season. Larger companies followed. The Walnut Street Theater, which had been planning to revive Gore Vidal’s classic, The Best Man, canceled the play two days before the official press opening. This was probably the greatest theater disappointment of 2020. The Arden Theater and the Wilma also canceled live productions although many companies have reinvented themselves with the formation of virtual online events and workshops.
Whatever the origin, the virus has succeeded in turning the world upside down. In Philadelphia, with bars and restaurants closed, there’s a ghost town feel to once vibrant Center City. The quiet is especially noticeable at night, especially with Mayor Kenney’s new ‘stay at home’ order. Everywhere you turn there is a feeling of desolation and fear. My brother, who lives in the Malvern-Exton suburbs, tells me that some people there have even taken to drinking Clorox to cleanse their throats and clear their nasal passages after spending time in public spaces.
A manager at a Rite Aid in my Fishtown neighborhood told me that while cashing out a long line of customers, he heard someone in line mention that the store sold a bug spray that was used as a sort of prophylactic when the West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999. (The West Nile virus, if you remember, was spread by infected mosquitos). When the person in line indicated where the product was sold, half the line made a beeline to purchase the spray, “a spray,” as the clerk told me, “that has absolutely nothing to do with COVID-19.”
One week ago I heard reports that COVID-19 fear is highest on the east and west coasts but in America’s midland and in the South, people are behaving in a much less fearful fashion. This was certainly true when spring break millennials crowded Florida beaches in orgies of drink and revelry. When a local Florida reporter asked one party girl why she had little regard for covid-19 restrictions, she replied, “This is my time,” meaning of course that her youth trumped all social and medical concerns. As Jonathan Swift once observed, “No wise man ever wished to be younger.”
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (Orlando, Florida) announced a 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, proving that the tables are turning in the once “less fearful” south. Just a few days ago families with young children were congregating in Liberty Lands park in Northern Liberties but such innocent gatherings are now history. Solitary walkers (a stroll around the block or walking the dog) are likely to be banned from city sidewalks, creating another sort of health hazard where dogs are concerned. Where will pet owners dispose of the poop? The mayor insists this is not martial law because people will not be arrested but be issued citations with fines.
The dangers of covid-19 cannot be minimized but sensationalistic overreactions like the stocking up on toilet paper, a pandemic within a pandemic, is a twisted act that’s done nothing but empty store shelves. Panic buying is uncontrolled narcissistic hoarding. This evaporation of common sense is what happens when people let fear grip them like an elliptic seizure. Filling three shopping carts with toilet paper should be a punishable offense.
As the Plague continues to peak (hopefully it will have reached its peak by April 9) the fear mongers among us might suggest we need to stock up on other necessities, like toothpaste or shaving cream. Perhaps a marketing genius will announce that Jello-0 is especially crucial to have during a plague. If the covid-19 crisis has taught us anything, it’s that “I can buy as much as I want” capitalism comes to a halt when a plague begins.
COVID-19 became serious business for Philadelphians when the City of Philadelphia announced that all non-essential businesses would be closed. The closure of restaurants and bars put scores of food service industry workers, most of them millennials, in the unemployment line. For a number of years now, self-styled “urban influencers” have been questioning whether Philadelphia has put too much emphasis on being a great restaurant town. What else does the city have to offer those seeking employment besides jobs in bistros and cafes? Waiting tables is something one used to do in high school or college. In the United States it was never (until now) a serious permanent profession on a par with going to medical or law school.
In mid-March it was announced that Pennsylvania Wine and Spirit stores would close. Wine and Spirits stores were declared “nonessential businesses” in Pennsylvania but in New York they were classified as “essential businesses.” Why the difference? I attribute this to the legacy of Pennsylvania’s old Blue Laws (the Blue Laws acting as a DNA-like imprint). Perhaps the old Quaker prohibitions against alcohol helped to form this policy. The decision to close the Philadelphia state stores came a day or two after the decision to close state stores in 5 surrounding Pennsylvania counties. City consumers had little time to make a bee line to their local state store to stock up before the closure. If there’s any common denominator about this virus, it’s that everything seems to be decided at the last minute. New decisions on how we are to behave change from hour to hour.
With that said, nobody should have to drink lemonade or Coca Cola during a mass extinction event.
The city’s arts and culture scene has been decimated like those toilet paper store shelves. The trickle started when small theater companies began announcing they were closing for the season. Larger companies followed. The Walnut Street Theater, which had been planning to revive Gore Vidal’s classic, The Best Man, canceled the play two days before the official press opening. This was probably the greatest theater disappointment of 2020. The Arden Theater and the Wilma also canceled live productions although many companies have reinvented themselves with the formation of virtual online events and workshops.
The Museum of the American Revolution announced its “Explore the Museum from Anywhere” virtual campaign where viewers can view the museum’s free digital resources without leaving home.
The much anticipated Philadelphia Travel and Adventure Show held annually at the Philadelphia Convention Center was also canceled. The show attracts exhibitors from all over the country and many parts of the world, including the Republic of Ireland.
The Philadelphia Flower Show’s 2020 presentation, Escape to the Riviera, managed to open and close before the COVID-19 guillotine had a chance to gut it. Churches throughout Center City shut their doors. Many parishioners, however, are able to attend virtual worship services via live streams on Facebook or You Tube. A friend of mine who is a member of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Center City had to quit going to daily Mass but he learned to take comfort in being able to tap into daily virtual Mass. My own parish of Saint Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church in Northern Liberties continues to hold private Great Lent services but only for clergy and designated assistants. Regular services will resume in early April, barring further crackdowns.
The much anticipated Philadelphia Travel and Adventure Show held annually at the Philadelphia Convention Center was also canceled. The show attracts exhibitors from all over the country and many parts of the world, including the Republic of Ireland.
The Philadelphia Flower Show’s 2020 presentation, Escape to the Riviera, managed to open and close before the COVID-19 guillotine had a chance to gut it. Churches throughout Center City shut their doors. Many parishioners, however, are able to attend virtual worship services via live streams on Facebook or You Tube. A friend of mine who is a member of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Center City had to quit going to daily Mass but he learned to take comfort in being able to tap into daily virtual Mass. My own parish of Saint Michael the Archangel Russian Orthodox Church in Northern Liberties continues to hold private Great Lent services but only for clergy and designated assistants. Regular services will resume in early April, barring further crackdowns.
For the nation’s Irish, the cancellation of the St. Patrick’s Day parade was a harsh reminder of covid-19. After the cancellation of the parade in cities all over the world, the cancellation of other Irish festivities followed.
In Philadelphia, the 250th anniversary St. Patrick’s Day parade, with Michael Bradley Jr. as Grand Marshal, never saw the light of day.
Other Irish event fatalities, such as The Villanova Center for Irish Studies March Heimbold Reading, had to be rescheduled. The Center sent the following message to subscribers:
In light of the unfolding events and precautions being taken to prevent the potential spread of the COVID-19, we have decided to reschedule tonight’s Heimbold Reading by Maurice Fitzpatrick. We hope to hold the celebration in a month’s time on April 15.
The Center for Irish Studies also sent out St. Patrick’s Day emails in addition to offering subscribers the opportunity to participate in a virtual St. Patrick’s celebration.
The Irish Heritage Theatre also issued a statement:
The Irish Heritage Theatre in association with Plays & Players have been closely monitoring the (COVID-19) situation, and for the safety of our staff, artists, and patrons, have decided to cancel the remaining performances of “The Steward of Christendom.”.
On the other hand, the Executive Board of the Philadelphia Irish Society gave a green light to its “Toast to St. Patrick” event from Noon to 3 PM on March 13 at Philadelphia FOP Lodge #5. The open bar, buffet and music- filled event was a light in an otherwise bleak social landscape.
There was understandable reluctance on Mayor Kenney’s part to shut down all non-essential businesses in the city.
On March 16, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that “Mayor Kenney is concerned that more stringent containment measures will disproportionately harm poor residents in Philadelphia. “
In early February, the mayor traveled to a Chinatown restaurant to demonstrate that eating in a Chinese restaurant was safe.
“Come back to Chinatown and eat — it’s great. Chinatown is safe. The city is safe. America is safe. Everybody should relax,” he said.
That, of course, was before the crisis imploded in mid-March. The mayor’s Chinese restaurant PR event was meant to call attention to alleged charges of anti-Chinese sentiment, such as attacks on Asian Americans.
COVID-19 is having a significant effect on large portions of Philadelphia’s workforce. Many white collar “elite” employees are now working from home, telecommunicating with laptops, a development that’s sure to change what it means to work and go to work. But this laptop crowd is only a small percentage of the workforce. If you’re a cook, chef or server in a restaurant, a laptop will do you no good. If you work in retail at Macy’s, Century 21, Brooks Brothers or the Burlington Coat Factory, that same laptop won’t earn you any money.
Septa ridership has dropped significantly since covid-19. Regional rail has seen a 60 to 80 percent drop, the Broad Street subway and the Market Frankford line stand at a 65 percent drop while many buses remain empty. Trains and buses are on a weekend schedule but how long before they will be shut down completely?
While riding Route 43 recently an old woman boarded the bus in Port Richmond. She was overweight and wearing a surgical mask and she was breathing with great difficulty. A fellow rider asked her if she was okay since she looked severely distressed. “Do you have asthma?” the man asked, at which point the woman produced an asthmatic pump spray which she inserted under her face mask. Despite the fact that she clearly had asthma, I witnessed two passengers move as far away from her as possible. The woman noticed these moves and seemed pained by them but there was nothing she could do.
When the pandemic is over (some have predicted it could disappear as abruptly as it appeared and end sometime in early summer), the workplace changes set in motion by the virus will define the future. People may discover that they are not as dependent as they thought they were on other things in life, like taking the Broad Street subway or the Market-Frankford El.
With Easter approaching, and with Pope Francis—as America magazine reported recently—asking God to free the world from COVID-19—we can, with faith and certainty, one day remember all this as a very bad dream. In the meantime, the effect worldwide has been devastating, from Seville’s cancelled Holy Week processions to closed airports in Norway and to New York City becoming a ‘shelter in place’ space forcing people to remain where they are, in quarantine, until further notice.
What’s worse than the plague, of course, is the fear that the plague is generating. Fear in many instances does more damage than the virus itself. An example that many have used are the toilet paper wars and the irrational stupidity that many people have been showing when it comes to greed and fear.
Only in the vaguest sense is this “a war” because viruses never completely go away, they disappear for a while and over time we learn to deal with them.
There was understandable reluctance on Mayor Kenney’s part to shut down all non-essential businesses in the city.
On March 16, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that “Mayor Kenney is concerned that more stringent containment measures will disproportionately harm poor residents in Philadelphia. “
In early February, the mayor traveled to a Chinatown restaurant to demonstrate that eating in a Chinese restaurant was safe.
“Come back to Chinatown and eat — it’s great. Chinatown is safe. The city is safe. America is safe. Everybody should relax,” he said.
That, of course, was before the crisis imploded in mid-March. The mayor’s Chinese restaurant PR event was meant to call attention to alleged charges of anti-Chinese sentiment, such as attacks on Asian Americans.
COVID-19 is having a significant effect on large portions of Philadelphia’s workforce. Many white collar “elite” employees are now working from home, telecommunicating with laptops, a development that’s sure to change what it means to work and go to work. But this laptop crowd is only a small percentage of the workforce. If you’re a cook, chef or server in a restaurant, a laptop will do you no good. If you work in retail at Macy’s, Century 21, Brooks Brothers or the Burlington Coat Factory, that same laptop won’t earn you any money.
Septa ridership has dropped significantly since covid-19. Regional rail has seen a 60 to 80 percent drop, the Broad Street subway and the Market Frankford line stand at a 65 percent drop while many buses remain empty. Trains and buses are on a weekend schedule but how long before they will be shut down completely?
While riding Route 43 recently an old woman boarded the bus in Port Richmond. She was overweight and wearing a surgical mask and she was breathing with great difficulty. A fellow rider asked her if she was okay since she looked severely distressed. “Do you have asthma?” the man asked, at which point the woman produced an asthmatic pump spray which she inserted under her face mask. Despite the fact that she clearly had asthma, I witnessed two passengers move as far away from her as possible. The woman noticed these moves and seemed pained by them but there was nothing she could do.
When the pandemic is over (some have predicted it could disappear as abruptly as it appeared and end sometime in early summer), the workplace changes set in motion by the virus will define the future. People may discover that they are not as dependent as they thought they were on other things in life, like taking the Broad Street subway or the Market-Frankford El.
With Easter approaching, and with Pope Francis—as America magazine reported recently—asking God to free the world from COVID-19—we can, with faith and certainty, one day remember all this as a very bad dream. In the meantime, the effect worldwide has been devastating, from Seville’s cancelled Holy Week processions to closed airports in Norway and to New York City becoming a ‘shelter in place’ space forcing people to remain where they are, in quarantine, until further notice.
What’s worse than the plague, of course, is the fear that the plague is generating. Fear in many instances does more damage than the virus itself. An example that many have used are the toilet paper wars and the irrational stupidity that many people have been showing when it comes to greed and fear.
Only in the vaguest sense is this “a war” because viruses never completely go away, they disappear for a while and over time we learn to deal with them.
