Coronavirus US: Andrew Cuomo’s social enforcement advice to New Yorkers is a ‘recipe for disaster’

The coronavirus pandemic has gripped New York City and the deadly infection is turning some residents against one another.

It’s getting to that part in the disaster movie where people start turning on each other.

Only, this is real life.

As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the world and many countries enter their second month under “stay-at-home” orders, fear of the perceived danger is causing some people to go off the deep end. Especially in New York, now at the global epicentre of the crisis, with more than 13,200 COVID-19 deaths recorded across the Empire State as of Sunday.

The US has by far the world’s largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infections and more than 39,000 deaths.

People are understandably on edge. But for some, a combination of fear, isolation and boredom is causing their minds to fray.

Take my neighbour - let’s call her Karen - for example.

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Karen – a middle-aged woman who I had never previously met – this week took umbrage when I walked past her in the foyer of our apartment building as she sat in a chair about three metres away.

“I would have moved if you told me you were going to come near me … I hope you get it,” she snapped, referring to the coronavirus.

So nice to meet you, Karen.

A woman wearing a mask walks in the almost deserted Central Park in Manhattan on April 16, 2020 in New York City. Picture: Johannes Eisele / AFP.

In my defence, I’m a germaphobe from way back. I’ve been pushing buttons with my knuckles, hand sanitising and social distancing long before the coronavirus came to town and am all for regulations in place to help “flatten the curve”. If someone is too close to you, or posing an actual risk to your health and wellbeing, of course it’s reasonable to request some space. But making a hobby out of confrontations as a cure for iso boredom is a recipe for disaster, and the world is already gripped by a big enough one of those.

Things got weirder with Karen as I waited for a man working on the front desk to retrieve a package out the back for me.

“You’re not supposed to stand there, you’re over the line,” an increasingly narky Karen continued, pointing to a new piece of sticky tape stuck to the floor that I hadn’t noticed prior.

“You need to stand behind the line.” By this stage, I was standing at least five metres away from her and nobody else was in the foyer.

The building’s newest self-appointed social distancing officer then went on to say that she in fact had the virus before dramatically fake coughing. The performance was remarkable, hypocritical, and disturbing in equal parts - but also highlighted an issue with New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s latest executive order.

A man bikes through the deserted Times Square on April 10, 2020 in New York City. Picture: Johannes Eisele / AFP.

In his daily press conference on Wednesday local time, Mr Cuomo said anyone in a situation where they “cannot maintain social distancing” – by keeping a 2.5 metre distance from others – in public at all times must wear a mask, cloth or bandana over their nose and mouth.

“You’re not going to go to jail for not wearing a mask but local government should start to enforce it,” he said.

“And people should enforce it if they’re standing next to you on the street corner and say: ‘where’s your mask, buddy?’”

Starting tomorrow, all New Yorkers MUST wear a cloth face covering or a mask when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained. pic.twitter.com/rncWmNjyZ0

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 16, 2020

The reckless and selfish behaviour witnessed around the world from Bondi Beach to Hong Kong has drawn much ire - in many cases deservedly so - amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But if there’s one thing we don’t need in this crisis it’s to empower the Karens of the world to police strangers on the street or in shared spaces – public or private. There are trained professionals for that.

New Yorkers hit Central Park with their faces covered just hours after @NYGovCuomo issued a statewide executive order to wear masks in public places where you “pass people”. It will be mandatory by Friday @newscomauHQ #coronavirusus pic.twitter.com/4IckNexCwX

— Megan Palin (@Megan_Palin) April 16, 2020

Further, the type of people willing to voluntarily enforce social measures on their fellow citizens, are typically the exact ones who don’t need to be encouraged. Let’s move to Slide B.

Two days before my encounter with my neighbour, I walked into a Manhattan bottle shop, where a woman – the only other customer in the store and across the other side of the small room – tried to get my attention.

“Excuse me,” she bellowed.

I turned and faced her. “Yes?” I responded.

“Are you going to a party?” she asked, disguising a very clear statement as a question.

I wasn’t, and told her as such, but she wasn’t convinced.

“It looks like you’re going somewhere,” she said accusingly, pointing at my ankle boots.

Well yeah, I was, back to my apartment for a virtual catch-up over drinks with some friends … but did I really have to justify that to a stranger waving her finger at me in a bottle shop? Apparently I did.

A field hospital with an ICU has been set up in the middle of Central Park to take the pressure off overflowing hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. It opens Tuesday morning and will be “full by night” @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/B1yK5ornmh

— Megan Palin (@Megan_Palin) March 30, 2020

In the heart of a typically bustling Times Sq, at 9pm on a Friday night @newscomauHQ #CoronavirusUSA pic.twitter.com/Qkyfy9MDfI

— Megan Palin (@Megan_Palin) March 21, 2020

There have been countless similar stories of people taking things into their own hands across the globe. From fights in supermarkets over rolls of toilet paper, to neighbours dobbing each other in for leaving their homes - in several cases those on their way out were essential workers who simply hadn’t yet changed into their work uniforms - and angry exchanges over whether or not someone is violating the 2.5m distance between them and another person.

It’s clearly important that everyone takes social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders seriously. But the coronavirus is concerning enough on it’s own without people succumbing to hysteria and channelling that into asserting their power over others purely for a sense of control.

[e-mail] | @Megan_Palin