NEW YORK—Thursday, March 12 marked the first day of containment in New Rochelle, New York—the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the state. All schools have closed their doors until the end of March. That leaves kids who depend on school meals in a tight situation.
The National Guard is currently in the city to help with distributing meals to families, cleaning public facilities, and distributing supplies. The Guard is not engaged in police or military activity, according to New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson. Likewise, no police are patrolling the area and families are able to come and go freely, aside from those who are subject to quarantine.
Bramson repeatedly made the point that containment does not mean quarantine. “Within this area, large gatherings at large institutions are prohibited. But, contrary to false rumors, there is no change in daily life. Except for individuals subject to quarantine, residents are free to come and go, and businesses are open,” Bramson wrote on the city’s website.
People are still encouraged to go to local businesses and restaurants, and free parking is now available to encourage people to go out. As of Thursday, people were still out grocery shopping and walking around, however a local resident told NTD that the streets were much more empty than usual.
