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| As Morgues Fill, N.Y.C. to Bury Some Virus Victims in Potter’s Field | As Morgues Fill, N.Y.C. to Bury Some Virus Victims in Potter’s Field |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Since the mid-1800s, New York City’s potter’s field on Hart Island, off the coast of the Bronx, has figured in numerous epidemics affecting New York City — as a burial ground during the Spanish Flu and AIDS crisis, and a quarantine spot for yellow fever and tuberculosis victims. | Since the mid-1800s, New York City’s potter’s field on Hart Island, off the coast of the Bronx, has figured in numerous epidemics affecting New York City — as a burial ground during the Spanish Flu and AIDS crisis, and a quarantine spot for yellow fever and tuberculosis victims. |
| And now, with coronavirus deaths overwhelming the city’s morgue capacity, it is needed again. | And now, with coronavirus deaths overwhelming the city’s morgue capacity, it is needed again. |
| A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday that it was likely some coronavirus victims would be sent to Hart Island, where for 150 years New York City has buried its unclaimed dead and those whose families are too poor to afford private burials. | A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday that it was likely some coronavirus victims would be sent to Hart Island, where for 150 years New York City has buried its unclaimed dead and those whose families are too poor to afford private burials. |
| The city has already begun to drastically increase interments on the island, to around 24 a day, as many as it would bury there in a week before the pandemic hit, according to the city’s Department of Correction, which runs the burial operation on the island. | The city has already begun to drastically increase interments on the island, to around 24 a day, as many as it would bury there in a week before the pandemic hit, according to the city’s Department of Correction, which runs the burial operation on the island. |
| It is unclear if those recently increased burials include those who have died from the coronavirus, or if they are people who passed away before the pandemic and were being moved from morgues to create space for the newly dead. | It is unclear if those recently increased burials include those who have died from the coronavirus, or if they are people who passed away before the pandemic and were being moved from morgues to create space for the newly dead. |
| But funeral directors said they had been told that any coronavirus victims not claimed within two weeks will be buried on Hart Island, at least temporarily. | But funeral directors said they had been told that any coronavirus victims not claimed within two weeks will be buried on Hart Island, at least temporarily. |
| Recently, drone footage and images have circulated of burial crews in freshly dug muddy trenches burying body after body in bare wooden boxes. They have become searing illustrations of the pandemic’s ghastly mortal toll, along with those of field hospital tents in Central Park, a Navy hospital ship off Manhattan and refrigerated trailers parked outside hospitals to handle the overflow of bodies. | Recently, drone footage and images have circulated of burial crews in freshly dug muddy trenches burying body after body in bare wooden boxes. They have become searing illustrations of the pandemic’s ghastly mortal toll, along with those of field hospital tents in Central Park, a Navy hospital ship off Manhattan and refrigerated trailers parked outside hospitals to handle the overflow of bodies. |
| In normal times, an average of 150 people die every day in New York City. The virus has effectively doubled that, overwhelming funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries and city morgues. Nearly 120 morgue workers, assisted by more than 100 soldiers from the Army, the National Guard and the Air National Guard, are working in shifts around the clock, driving rented vans all over the city to pick up bodies. | In normal times, an average of 150 people die every day in New York City. The virus has effectively doubled that, overwhelming funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries and city morgues. Nearly 120 morgue workers, assisted by more than 100 soldiers from the Army, the National Guard and the Air National Guard, are working in shifts around the clock, driving rented vans all over the city to pick up bodies. |
| This contingency burial plan involving Hart Island is part of an influenza pandemic surge plan created a decade ago by officials with the city’s medical examiner, said Councilman Mark D. Levine, who chairs the City Council’s Health Committee. | This contingency burial plan involving Hart Island is part of an influenza pandemic surge plan created a decade ago by officials with the city’s medical examiner, said Councilman Mark D. Levine, who chairs the City Council’s Health Committee. |
| The plan is a touchy one because burials on the island, which is off-limits to the public, have long borne a stigma. Bodies interred on the island can be retrieved for later reburial, but it is certain to heighten the horror if relatives of Covid-19 victims find out that their loved one has been put in a wooden box and piled in a trench on a forbidden island overseen by the city’s jail system. | The plan is a touchy one because burials on the island, which is off-limits to the public, have long borne a stigma. Bodies interred on the island can be retrieved for later reburial, but it is certain to heighten the horror if relatives of Covid-19 victims find out that their loved one has been put in a wooden box and piled in a trench on a forbidden island overseen by the city’s jail system. |
| “It’s hard for New Yorkers to think about anybody being buried on Hart Island,” Mr. Levine said, “but it will be done in a dignified, orderly professional manner.” | “It’s hard for New Yorkers to think about anybody being buried on Hart Island,” Mr. Levine said, “but it will be done in a dignified, orderly professional manner.” |
| The Hart Island plan will create an added layer of difficulty for overwhelmed funeral directors. They are running out of space to store bodies, given the wave of deaths and the postponement of many funerals because of social-distancing rules. Now they fear having to break more bad news to reeling families. | The Hart Island plan will create an added layer of difficulty for overwhelmed funeral directors. They are running out of space to store bodies, given the wave of deaths and the postponement of many funerals because of social-distancing rules. Now they fear having to break more bad news to reeling families. |
| “Families who are already in shock have to hear that their loved is in a pine box going to an island where the city buries the homeless,” said Patrick Marmo, who owns six funeral homes in New York City. | “Families who are already in shock have to hear that their loved is in a pine box going to an island where the city buries the homeless,” said Patrick Marmo, who owns six funeral homes in New York City. |
| More than 1 million New Yorkers are buried on Hart Island. The city still buries 1,000 bodies a year there, including unclaimed homeless, stillborn babies and poor New Yorkers whose families do not have the money to bury them. | More than 1 million New Yorkers are buried on Hart Island. The city still buries 1,000 bodies a year there, including unclaimed homeless, stillborn babies and poor New Yorkers whose families do not have the money to bury them. |
| The bodies arrive by ferry in bare wooden coffins and are stacked three high in rows of six, in trenches as long as a football field. The unmarked mass graves are dug by inmates bussed and ferried over from the Rikers Island jail. | The bodies arrive by ferry in bare wooden coffins and are stacked three high in rows of six, in trenches as long as a football field. The unmarked mass graves are dug by inmates bussed and ferried over from the Rikers Island jail. |
| “It has a burial operation already so it will be a smoother transition” than other locations, Mr. Levine said. | “It has a burial operation already so it will be a smoother transition” than other locations, Mr. Levine said. |
| In normal times, city officials often keep a body in a morgue for up to several months before sending it to Hart Island, to give themselves time to find relatives. | In normal times, city officials often keep a body in a morgue for up to several months before sending it to Hart Island, to give themselves time to find relatives. |
| It was unclear if the recent surge in burials were bodies stored in morgues before the pandemic hit, or those felled by the virus. The city’s Department of Correction does not receive information on cause of death for recent burials, said a spokesman, Jason Kersten. He referred questions to the city medical examiner’s office, which did not return requests for comment. | It was unclear if the recent surge in burials were bodies stored in morgues before the pandemic hit, or those felled by the virus. The city’s Department of Correction does not receive information on cause of death for recent burials, said a spokesman, Jason Kersten. He referred questions to the city medical examiner’s office, which did not return requests for comment. |
| Correction officials have changed the longstanding burial process in order to handle more bodies. A bulldozer now loads caskets from truck to trench, which for decades was done manually by inmate workers. | Correction officials have changed the longstanding burial process in order to handle more bodies. A bulldozer now loads caskets from truck to trench, which for decades was done manually by inmate workers. |
| New trenches can be dug as needed by heavy equipment in a matter of hours, Mr. Kersten said. | New trenches can be dug as needed by heavy equipment in a matter of hours, Mr. Kersten said. |
| In another notable change, corrections officials announced this week that after decades of using inmates to bury the dead, they have begun using a team of ten privately contracted laborers for the job. They cited the health risk of transporting inmates to and from the island in close quarters. More than 275 inmates on Rikers Island have tested positive for the virus. | In another notable change, corrections officials announced this week that after decades of using inmates to bury the dead, they have begun using a team of ten privately contracted laborers for the job. They cited the health risk of transporting inmates to and from the island in close quarters. More than 275 inmates on Rikers Island have tested positive for the virus. |
| Before the change, corrections officials had been struggling to attract inmates for the job because hundreds had been released in an attempt to lower the risk of contagion at Rikers Island. Officials had already raised wages for the burial detail to $6 an hour from $1.50. (Inmates are not covered by minimum-wage laws.) | Before the change, corrections officials had been struggling to attract inmates for the job because hundreds had been released in an attempt to lower the risk of contagion at Rikers Island. Officials had already raised wages for the burial detail to $6 an hour from $1.50. (Inmates are not covered by minimum-wage laws.) |
| Historically, city officials have long been reluctant to provide public access to Hart Island, which is said to be the largest public cemetery in the country. | Historically, city officials have long been reluctant to provide public access to Hart Island, which is said to be the largest public cemetery in the country. |
| Updated June 2, 2020 | |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.) |
| More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. | More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| 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. |
| The assemblage of crumbling buildings remaining on the island allude to its history, which includes roles as a prison camp during the Civil War, a psychiatric hospital, a tuberculosis sanitarium, a homeless center and alcohol and drug treatment centers. | The assemblage of crumbling buildings remaining on the island allude to its history, which includes roles as a prison camp during the Civil War, a psychiatric hospital, a tuberculosis sanitarium, a homeless center and alcohol and drug treatment centers. |
| Correction officials map all burial locations so family members who are identified later, sometimes through DNA testing, can retrieve them. The department performs dozens of disinterments each year. | Correction officials map all burial locations so family members who are identified later, sometimes through DNA testing, can retrieve them. The department performs dozens of disinterments each year. |
| On Sunday, the Hart Island Project, a nonprofit group that has pushed for more public access and awareness regarding the island, published a drone video taken April 2 apparently showing inmates helping to bury coffins on the island. | On Sunday, the Hart Island Project, a nonprofit group that has pushed for more public access and awareness regarding the island, published a drone video taken April 2 apparently showing inmates helping to bury coffins on the island. |
| The nonprofit’s founder, Melinda Hunt, said Hart Island can accommodate several more decades of burials at the normal rate. She called the coronavirus burial plan the safest and most orderly method of emergency burial, especially because of the ability to reclaim the body for a private burial or cremations at a later date. | The nonprofit’s founder, Melinda Hunt, said Hart Island can accommodate several more decades of burials at the normal rate. She called the coronavirus burial plan the safest and most orderly method of emergency burial, especially because of the ability to reclaim the body for a private burial or cremations at a later date. |
| “This is a tried and tested system of burial, one the city used during the 1918 flu epidemic,” she said. “It works, and you want to go with a system that’s actually working. This is what we need.” | “This is a tried and tested system of burial, one the city used during the 1918 flu epidemic,” she said. “It works, and you want to go with a system that’s actually working. This is what we need.” |
| But Mr. Marmo, the funeral-home owner, called it a “nightmare scenario,” especially for people of lesser means. | But Mr. Marmo, the funeral-home owner, called it a “nightmare scenario,” especially for people of lesser means. |
| “This is going to come at the expense of poor and uninformed New Yorkers with no connections or capacity to figure this out,” he said. “You take some poor person who’s quarantined and trying to find their aunt’s body. Are they really going to know they should call the medical examiner, and have all the proper information, to claim a body?” | “This is going to come at the expense of poor and uninformed New Yorkers with no connections or capacity to figure this out,” he said. “You take some poor person who’s quarantined and trying to find their aunt’s body. Are they really going to know they should call the medical examiner, and have all the proper information, to claim a body?” |
| Alan Feuer and William K. Rashbaum contributed reporting. | Alan Feuer and William K. Rashbaum contributed reporting. |