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| Bodegas, Now More Than Ever | Bodegas, Now More Than Ever |
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| When she touched down at La Guardia Airport in mid-March, Rabyaah Althaibani said she could feel the panic taking hold of New York. | When she touched down at La Guardia Airport in mid-March, Rabyaah Althaibani said she could feel the panic taking hold of New York. |
| Her iPhone pinged with work-from-home mandates and “something about flattening the curve.” The normally bustling N train was eerily empty. Then she saw the grocery store. | Her iPhone pinged with work-from-home mandates and “something about flattening the curve.” The normally bustling N train was eerily empty. Then she saw the grocery store. |
| “I’ve been through 9/11, I've been through Sandy. I know what panic is and I know what fear feels like,” Ms. Althaibani said. “But this was different.” | “I’ve been through 9/11, I've been through Sandy. I know what panic is and I know what fear feels like,” Ms. Althaibani said. “But this was different.” |
| She, like millions of other New Yorkers, searched for basics: cold medicine, hand sanitizer and toilet paper. But her normally robust neighborhood Key Food store had been gutted. “It was mayhem. I was lucky to get a bag of rice,” she said. | She, like millions of other New Yorkers, searched for basics: cold medicine, hand sanitizer and toilet paper. But her normally robust neighborhood Key Food store had been gutted. “It was mayhem. I was lucky to get a bag of rice,” she said. |
| So Ms. Althaibani turned to a trusted neighborhood gem. | So Ms. Althaibani turned to a trusted neighborhood gem. |
| “Those essentials I couldn’t find in the grocery store, they were right there at my bodega,” she said. | “Those essentials I couldn’t find in the grocery store, they were right there at my bodega,” she said. |
| As business in New York City ground to a halt — with clothing stores, nail salons, barber shops, museums, movie theaters, concert halls and nightclubs closed — bodegas, the small, scrappy 24-hour corner stores most often found in working-class neighborhoods, were open around the city. | As business in New York City ground to a halt — with clothing stores, nail salons, barber shops, museums, movie theaters, concert halls and nightclubs closed — bodegas, the small, scrappy 24-hour corner stores most often found in working-class neighborhoods, were open around the city. |
| And while supplies of necessary items are depleted in grocery stores and chain stores, many New Yorkers are finding bodega shelves fully stocked. | And while supplies of necessary items are depleted in grocery stores and chain stores, many New Yorkers are finding bodega shelves fully stocked. |
| “The bodega isn’t just where you get your egg and cheese sandwich and your coffee,” said City Councilman Justin Brannan, who lives in and represents the Bay Ridge neighborhood. “They become these places that come to represent stability in an otherwise unknown and unstable environment.” | “The bodega isn’t just where you get your egg and cheese sandwich and your coffee,” said City Councilman Justin Brannan, who lives in and represents the Bay Ridge neighborhood. “They become these places that come to represent stability in an otherwise unknown and unstable environment.” |
| It’s stability that Ms. Althaibani knows too well. Her son, Ahmed, has Type 1 diabetes. “When the supermarket closes at 9 and Ahmed’s sugar drops and he needs orange juice or something, it’s the bodega that I’ve had to turn to,” she said. | It’s stability that Ms. Althaibani knows too well. Her son, Ahmed, has Type 1 diabetes. “When the supermarket closes at 9 and Ahmed’s sugar drops and he needs orange juice or something, it’s the bodega that I’ve had to turn to,” she said. |
| More than just a store, bodegas are oftentimes extensions of the home for many of their customers, Mr. Brannan suggests. | More than just a store, bodegas are oftentimes extensions of the home for many of their customers, Mr. Brannan suggests. |
| “They provide more than your basic necessities,” Mr. Brannan said. “It’s the check-in moment behind your house. It can’t be underestimated, the value the bodega has in providing a sense of calm and a sense of relief to their communities in times like these.” | “They provide more than your basic necessities,” Mr. Brannan said. “It’s the check-in moment behind your house. It can’t be underestimated, the value the bodega has in providing a sense of calm and a sense of relief to their communities in times like these.” |
| Green Garden Deli on Malcolm X Boulevard fills that role for some shoppers in Harlem. | Green Garden Deli on Malcolm X Boulevard fills that role for some shoppers in Harlem. |
| Hand sanitizer was nowhere to be found at the CVS Pharmacy on 125th Street and Lenox Boulevard. A shopper in the Rite Aid on Frederick Douglass Boulevard couldn’t find any there, either. “I’ve been everywhere,” she said with a sigh. “Target, Amazon, CVS. No one’s got hand sanitizer.” | Hand sanitizer was nowhere to be found at the CVS Pharmacy on 125th Street and Lenox Boulevard. A shopper in the Rite Aid on Frederick Douglass Boulevard couldn’t find any there, either. “I’ve been everywhere,” she said with a sigh. “Target, Amazon, CVS. No one’s got hand sanitizer.” |
| But a few blocks away at Green Garden Deli, there was plenty. “But if you don’t shop here,” said Wadie Obeid, the owner of the bodega, “how would you know?” | But a few blocks away at Green Garden Deli, there was plenty. “But if you don’t shop here,” said Wadie Obeid, the owner of the bodega, “how would you know?” |
| Online, sellers were capitalizing on supply scarcity, selling rolls of toilet paper for $10 a piece and bottles of hand sanitizer for $60. But at the Green Garden Deli, Mr. Obeid pointed to a tub of Purell bottles selling for two dollars, his normal rate. | Online, sellers were capitalizing on supply scarcity, selling rolls of toilet paper for $10 a piece and bottles of hand sanitizer for $60. But at the Green Garden Deli, Mr. Obeid pointed to a tub of Purell bottles selling for two dollars, his normal rate. |
| Mr. Obeid said he had noticed a slight uptick in sanitizer purchases from his usual customers, but was unaware of the panic buying some stores were experiencing. | Mr. Obeid said he had noticed a slight uptick in sanitizer purchases from his usual customers, but was unaware of the panic buying some stores were experiencing. |
| Some New Yorkers have complained of bodega price gouging on social media. | Some New Yorkers have complained of bodega price gouging on social media. |
| A spokeswoman for the New York attorney general’s office said that more than 5,000 price gouging complaints have been filed in New York State in March alone, the “vast majority” coming from New York City. The complaints were not classified by store type. | A spokeswoman for the New York attorney general’s office said that more than 5,000 price gouging complaints have been filed in New York State in March alone, the “vast majority” coming from New York City. The complaints were not classified by store type. |
| When told about the price gouging of other suppliers, Mr. Obeid’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “As long as the wholesaler keeps the price, so will I,” he said. | When told about the price gouging of other suppliers, Mr. Obeid’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “As long as the wholesaler keeps the price, so will I,” he said. |
| Ms. Althaibani’s local bodega is the Parkway Deli & Grill Express in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The owner, Faisal Amari, is friends with her on Facebook. He knows just how to make the pastrami sandwich her son likes. | Ms. Althaibani’s local bodega is the Parkway Deli & Grill Express in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The owner, Faisal Amari, is friends with her on Facebook. He knows just how to make the pastrami sandwich her son likes. |
| As fears of contracting the coronavirus grew, Ms. Althaibani made the decision to send her young daughter, Salma, to Michigan as a health precaution. Ms. Althaibani said Mr. Amari noticed and inquired about the girl after not seeing her for a few days. | As fears of contracting the coronavirus grew, Ms. Althaibani made the decision to send her young daughter, Salma, to Michigan as a health precaution. Ms. Althaibani said Mr. Amari noticed and inquired about the girl after not seeing her for a few days. |
| “These people aren’t just bodega workers,” Ms. Althaibani said. “They’re a part of our community. They are a critical part of our neighborhood.” | “These people aren’t just bodega workers,” Ms. Althaibani said. “They’re a part of our community. They are a critical part of our neighborhood.” |
| Updated June 22, 2020 | |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| They are also considered essential workers and are putting themselves at risk. “They’re on the front lines,” Mr. Brannan said. | They are also considered essential workers and are putting themselves at risk. “They’re on the front lines,” Mr. Brannan said. |
| Mr. Amari, who estimates he has at least 100 customers each day, requires his workers to wear protective masks and gloves. “We know this virus is no joke,” he said. “We do the best we can.” | Mr. Amari, who estimates he has at least 100 customers each day, requires his workers to wear protective masks and gloves. “We know this virus is no joke,” he said. “We do the best we can.” |
| When asked if he was worried about contracting the virus and bringing it home to his family (a wife and four children ranging from 4 to 15 years old), Mr. Amari said he had a wider concern. | When asked if he was worried about contracting the virus and bringing it home to his family (a wife and four children ranging from 4 to 15 years old), Mr. Amari said he had a wider concern. |
| “I worry about my employees,” he said. “I worry about the workers and the people in my neighborhood. I kind of feel it is my job to support them.” | “I worry about my employees,” he said. “I worry about the workers and the people in my neighborhood. I kind of feel it is my job to support them.” |
| At Green Garden Deli in Harlem, Mr. Obeid had a similar mind-set. | At Green Garden Deli in Harlem, Mr. Obeid had a similar mind-set. |
| “I am here for the neighborhood. Whoever that is,” said Mr. Obeid. “We’re here to serve them, to help them out. That’s the bodega way.” | “I am here for the neighborhood. Whoever that is,” said Mr. Obeid. “We’re here to serve them, to help them out. That’s the bodega way.” |