This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/nyregion/coronavirus-atlantic-city.html
The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| ‘There Is Nothing’: When the Slots Go Dark in a Casino Mecca | ‘There Is Nothing’: When the Slots Go Dark in a Casino Mecca |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Now is usually when Atlantic City stirs back to life as winter’s sleepy tourist trade gives way to beachgoers and gamblers eager to spend time and money. Not this year. The boardwalk and beaches are almost empty, save for people fishing. And the casinos, whose very design is meant to lure gamblers inside and keep them there, now have security guards posted outside fenced-off entrances. | Now is usually when Atlantic City stirs back to life as winter’s sleepy tourist trade gives way to beachgoers and gamblers eager to spend time and money. Not this year. The boardwalk and beaches are almost empty, save for people fishing. And the casinos, whose very design is meant to lure gamblers inside and keep them there, now have security guards posted outside fenced-off entrances. |
| “Atlantic City is a summertime city, it’s when we all make money,” said Benjamin Stevens, 26, a bartender at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino. “You usually work a lot in the summer to get through the wintertime.” | “Atlantic City is a summertime city, it’s when we all make money,” said Benjamin Stevens, 26, a bartender at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino. “You usually work a lot in the summer to get through the wintertime.” |
| As New Jersey’s lockdown largely continues, Atlantic City’s seasonal economic ecosystem — which had seen a slight recovery in recent years — has been battered. Casino revenue was down by 69 percent this April compared to last, a record drop which would have been worse if not for online gambling, even though sports betting parlors elsewhere in the state have lured away online bettors. | As New Jersey’s lockdown largely continues, Atlantic City’s seasonal economic ecosystem — which had seen a slight recovery in recent years — has been battered. Casino revenue was down by 69 percent this April compared to last, a record drop which would have been worse if not for online gambling, even though sports betting parlors elsewhere in the state have lured away online bettors. |
| Beyond the casinos, nearly 40 percent of the city’s population, which has been steadily shrinking over the last decade, lives in poverty. And that was before the coronavirus hit. Now tens of thousands of people are unemployed, and the state has yet to announce a date for resuming business. | Beyond the casinos, nearly 40 percent of the city’s population, which has been steadily shrinking over the last decade, lives in poverty. And that was before the coronavirus hit. Now tens of thousands of people are unemployed, and the state has yet to announce a date for resuming business. |
| Devin Yalkin, a photographer, had spent childhood summers at a family home in Brigantine, N.J. Staying indoors with his family during the shutdown, he wondered what the boardwalk and beach looked like after time had stood still for three months. | Devin Yalkin, a photographer, had spent childhood summers at a family home in Brigantine, N.J. Staying indoors with his family during the shutdown, he wondered what the boardwalk and beach looked like after time had stood still for three months. |
| “It’s a sad place to begin with,” Mr. Yalkin said. “It doesn’t have the glamour that Vegas has. It doesn’t have that same draw in terms of pageantry. Vegas is lit up all the time and everything is made to look like something else. In Atlantic City, you get what you see. No big stakes gamblers, just older, retired people sending their money into the ether.” | “It’s a sad place to begin with,” Mr. Yalkin said. “It doesn’t have the glamour that Vegas has. It doesn’t have that same draw in terms of pageantry. Vegas is lit up all the time and everything is made to look like something else. In Atlantic City, you get what you see. No big stakes gamblers, just older, retired people sending their money into the ether.” |
| The vista he encountered was of a desolate landscape, with a few people on the boardwalk jogging or riding bikes, while men fished from the beach. The Steel Pier was closed. Trees outside one casino stand with their tops bulging under tarps that looked like giant shower caps. | The vista he encountered was of a desolate landscape, with a few people on the boardwalk jogging or riding bikes, while men fished from the beach. The Steel Pier was closed. Trees outside one casino stand with their tops bulging under tarps that looked like giant shower caps. |
| 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. |
| At one restaurant, the outdoor deck had collapsed onto the sand, which had steadily been eroding. Garages, once full, are deserted. So, too are the casinos, boarded up and idle, though outside one of them upbeat pop songs played from a patio speaker. | At one restaurant, the outdoor deck had collapsed onto the sand, which had steadily been eroding. Garages, once full, are deserted. So, too are the casinos, boarded up and idle, though outside one of them upbeat pop songs played from a patio speaker. |
| On the other hand, the breeze smells like the ocean, unspoiled by the aroma of sunscreen, funnel cakes or cigarettes. | On the other hand, the breeze smells like the ocean, unspoiled by the aroma of sunscreen, funnel cakes or cigarettes. |
| Mr. Stevens and his partner, Pauline, are relying on savings and unemployment insurance to provide for their two children, cover the rent and weather the crisis. “We’re trying to make this work,” he said. “As long as the kids have food to eat, we’re good.” | Mr. Stevens and his partner, Pauline, are relying on savings and unemployment insurance to provide for their two children, cover the rent and weather the crisis. “We’re trying to make this work,” he said. “As long as the kids have food to eat, we’re good.” |
| Like so many others in his predicament, he is slightly dazed by how quickly their lives have been derailed. “I came to the U.S. four years ago from Italy,” he said, adding that he had relatives living in Atlantic City. “The first summer, it was packed, I never saw anything like that before. Now, there is nothing. It’s sad.” | Like so many others in his predicament, he is slightly dazed by how quickly their lives have been derailed. “I came to the U.S. four years ago from Italy,” he said, adding that he had relatives living in Atlantic City. “The first summer, it was packed, I never saw anything like that before. Now, there is nothing. It’s sad.” |