Clueless New Yorkers Gather To Watch USNS Comfort Arrive, Completely Missing The Point

Updated: Read the latest developments on the coronavirus outbreak here.

While some New Yorkers have been isolating themselves and following social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, others in the city are being reckless regarding others’ welfare.

On Monday morning, the USNS Comfort arrived in New York City’s harbour. The hospital ship with approximately 1,000 patient beds is expected to take the non-COVID-19 patients at city’s hospitals across all five boroughs in an effort to free up space. New York City has over 36,000 reported cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as of Monday morning. Seven hundred and ninety people have died of the disease.

Ahead of the ship’s arrival in the Hudson River, dozens of New Yorkers gathered on Manhattan’s west side to watch it arrive.

Photos from Getty Images that were also posted on social media show crowds of people gathered on Monday, most of whom are not maintaining six feet of distance from others as advised by health experts to limit the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 is thought to spread between people who are in close contact with one another, which the CDC identifies as “within about six feet.” The disease can also transmit through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The ease of transmission is the reason why residents of New York state, which has become the global epicentre of the pandemic, are being directed to stay home through April 15.

Governor Andrew Cuomo also announced on Monday that New York state now has more than 66,000 cases of the coronavirus.

Those in the crowd must have missed the irony that they were putting themselves at greater risk of infection to see a ship that was there only because the city was struggling to contain infections.

Stay home. No Instagram post is worth your life.