Life is returning to New York City as it is gearing up to release itself from the shackles of Coronavirus. Given the improvements vis-à-vis the pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio has indicated the city would return to normalcy by July 1. There would be no restriction on movement of people. Arenas, gyms, stores and hair salons can return to business once again. Bloomberg says rush hour traffic is back, complaints on noise are on the rise and the city is trying to reinvent itself. When the pandemic struck, there were empty streets last year. The scene is changing.

Vaccination has helped reduce hospitalizations. In November, news reports had mentioned about the possible ill effects of coronavirus on tourism in New York City.

Entertainment options in New York City to open up

Accessibility to museums, movie theaters, parks and outdoor areas would increase. There could be capacity restraints in some places. The midnight curfew in place on bars and restaurants will be outdated. Many people do not wear the masks and crowds are returning to the open spaces and parks. A data company that tracks the movement of goods and people provided this feedback. In July last year, New York announced closure of Broadway until next year due to coronavirus. Bloomberg mentions about indications of a gradual return to form for the city.

Many New Yorkers are yet to recover from the long-term health and economic effects of the pandemic. Most of the offices are still empty. In spite of these setbacks, efforts are on to bring lives back on track. However, the authorities have to tackle the menace of rats in New York City that are back in large numbers as fears of coronavirus recedes.

The city was under lock-down to prevent the virus from spreading. That forced the rodents to migrate to residential areas in search of food. They are coming back to the city as the pandemic comes under control.

Business in New York City picking up slowly

Coronavirus struck the world last year and has left a trail of death all over the world.

The very nature of the pandemic devastated the Travel industry. Aircraft remained on the ground and cruise ships dropped anchor at the ports. Today, a New York City carriage driver says business is picking up slowly. She says - “There’s still less business than there was before, but we are doing alright.” Very few tickets available for an art fair that attracts collectors from around the country. Bloomberg goes on to add that it is difficult to get a seat in a neighborhood bar and restaurant in Greenwich Village. New York City is a tourist attraction and has several sights that tourists do not want to miss. The authorities expect domestic tourism position to rebound by 2023. It also expects the numbers to go beyond the pre-pandemic level by 2024.

New York City waits for a new Mayor

According to New York Times, Mayor Bill de Blasio wants the city to reopen by July 1. The signs of recovery are evident with the end of curfew on restaurants and bars accompanied by ease of occupancy restrictions in offices, ballparks and gyms. The city expects a new mayor to take over and the incumbent would have to face a phase of recovery that would be riddled with uncertainties. The most important issue before the contenders would be reopening of businesses and bolstering the economy. Then would be preventing the spread of coronavirus followed by controlling crime and ensuring public safety. The future of New York City post coronavirus would be a matter of concern.

Return of tourists would take time and companies might adopt new work cultures post pandemic. Moreover, many small businesses that closed during the pandemic might not reopen. Therefore, whoever becomes Mayor might have to tackle situations that do not have any precedent. He would have to use his ingenuity to come up with solutions. Andrew Yang is the current front-runner. He was a presidential candidate.
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