Observations made on the fourth Monday of August:
2020—COVID cases, New York City: 297; COVID deaths: 8. Vaccines authorized, worldwide: zero.
2021—COVID cases, N.Y.C.: 1,536; COVID deaths: 9. Vaccines authorized, worldwide: 12.
2020—Number of plays, “I Got You Babe,” by Sonny and Cher, Spotify: 72,000. Monthly sales, “White Fragility,” by Robin DiAngelo, McNally Jackson bookstores: 56. Flour shipped, King Arthur Baking (gross pounds): 2,836,156. Head count, Animal Care Centers of N.Y.C. shelters: 2 birds, 5 marsupials, 8 guinea pigs, 167 dogs, 316 cats.
2021—Number of plays, “I Got You Babe”: 73,000. Monthly sales, “White Fragility”: zero. Flour shipped, King Arthur Baking (gross pounds): 3,095,586. Head count, Animal Care Centers: 3 reptiles, 7 unspecified mammals, 38 rabbits, including one “Rabbit Deniro,” 90 guinea pigs, 220 dogs, 413 cats not named Mr. Bigglesworth, 1 cat named Mr. Bigglesworth.
2020—Tweet, President of the United States: “Incredible that @CNN & MSDNC aren’t covering the Roll Call of States. Fake News! This is what the Republican Party is up against.”
2021—Tweet, President of the United States: “If you haven’t gotten vaccinated, please do it now.”
2020—Sales, Astor Wines & Spirits (gallons): wine—791, bourbon—27, gin—20, vodka—31, tequila—22. Dinner parties at Steve and Jennifer’s apartment, where they always invite too many people, and you get stuck talking to Carol, but actually it turns out she’s O.K., that was kind of nice, we should do that more often: zero.
2021—Sales, Astor Wines & Spirits (gallons): wine—356, bourbon—17, gin—17, vodka—27, tequila—16. That eye-contact-and-half-smirk thing you do when unavoidably touching thighs with a fellow F-train rider because three more passengers just squeezed on, even though it’s a hundred degrees, but the human commiseration is sort of affirming: still a no.
2020—Percentage of OpenTable reservations for outdoor tables, N.Y.C.: 50. Percentage of OpenTable reservations for outdoor tables, Palm Beach, Florida: 2. Monthly average home-sale price, Westchester: $1,082,268. Median rent, Brooklyn: $2,649. Playdates, Ella, age four, Upper West Side, week: zero.
2021—Percentage of OpenTable reservations for outdoor tables, N.Y.C.: 18. Percentage of OpenTable reservations for outdoor tables, Palm Beach: 8. Monthly average home-sale price, Westchester: $1,145,016. Median rent, Brooklyn: $2,650. Playdates, Ella, age five, Upper West Side, week: 7, including yoga with B.F.F. Caroline.
2020—Public remarks, governor of New York: “We’ve been doing a great job keeping control of this virus. Congratulations to the people of New York. It wasn’t rocket science, it just took the nation a long time to understand that we’re dealing with a virus. It’s a question of science, not politics.”
2021—Public remarks, governor of New York: “I’m stepping aside as your governor. . . . Kathy Hochul will become governor, and I believe she will step up to the challenge.”
2020—Hope: Waxing. Mask wearing, Seventh Avenue and Union Street, Brooklyn: 97%. Broadway shows: zero.
2021—Hope: Waning. Mask wearing, Seventh Avenue and Union Street, Brooklyn: 18%. Broadway shows: 2.
2020—Headline, USA Today: “Americans are buying Mace, RVs, bulk foods as COVID-19 pandemic drags on.” Murders, N.Y.C., previous week: 16. Masks sold by WeShield, Flatiron: 200,000. Hazard-pay rate, Eddie Q., grocery worker: 10% extra. Pot-and-pan banging: occasional.
2021—Headline, USA Today: “ ‘You are not a horse.’ FDA warns against use of animal dewormer as COVID-19 treatment, prevention.” Murders, N.Y.C., previous week: 6. Masks sold by WeShield: 600,000. Hazard-pay rate, Eddie Q., grocery worker: 0% extra. Pot-and-pan banging: only while cooking dinner.
2020—E-mails sent to superintendent of schools, Mineola, Long Island, about COVID protocols, week: 8. Remark from teacher before school-board meeting, Anoka-Hennepin district, Minnesota: “People of color are at a higher risk for contracting COVID, they’re at a higher risk for dying from the virus, and so I definitely worry about that.” P.C.R. tests, Elmhurst Hospital, Queens: 710. Percentage of increase, from last year, in flat tires fixed, Kickstand Bicycles, midtown: 67.
2021—E-mails sent to superintendent of schools, Mineola, about COVID protocols, week: 15. Remark from parent at school-board meeting, Anoka-Hennepin district: “I have written you all an email on June 28 on why I oppose Critical Race Theory. . . . As for masks . . . it is irrational, unscientific child abuse!” P.C.R. tests, Elmhurst Hospital, Queens: 1,369. Percentage of increase, from last year, in flat tires fixed, Kickstand Bicycles: zero.
2020—Return-to-office date, Amazon employees: 1/8/21. Total moves originating in N.Y.C., terminating elsewhere, Dumbo Moving & Storage: 59. Google searches for “Groundhog Day,” month: 246,000.
2021—Return-to-office date, Amazon: 1/3/22. Total moves originating in N.Y.C., terminating elsewhere, Dumbo Moving & Storage: 22. Google searches for “Groundhog Day,” month: 368,000. ♦
