Let me be blunt: the rate of new cases in New York City is troublingly—and stubbornly—high. Notwithstanding the progress in vaccinating New Yorkers, the city is seeing more than
10 times as many new cases per day compared to when we started this academic year.
Unsurprisingly, NYU is not insulated from this development. Although the levels are not as dramatic as the City’s, the University
has had a concerningly high spike of new cases in the last 14-day period.
Data from NYU’s contact tracing suggests that many new cases are associated with travel or people spending time with masks off and/or eating with other people. Sometimes this is in the home setting, sometimes this is in restaurant settings or other venues that are now permissible by NYS.
I can understand—these seem like harmless or inconsequential acts. But they’re not—they’re putting people’s health and lives at risk.
It’s in this context that I urge everyone to heed CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky’s call:
“We have so much to look forward to, so much promise and potential of where we are, and so much reason for hope, but right now I’m scared.
“I'm calling on every single one of you to sound the alarm to carry these messages into your community and your spheres of influence. We do not have the luxury of inaction. For the health of our country, we must work together now to prevent a fourth surge.”
Like Dr. Walensky, I have a plea: that for a little while longer you please avoid the venues that the State and City have permitted to open—indoor dining, events with crowds, etc. Keep your masks on. Maintain 6 feet of distance from other people. Do not eat indoors in groups. Don’t travel. Don’t hang out maskless with other people. Skip fitness classes that involve a group of people exercising together in an enclosed space.
A day when we can relax around a meal with friends or hang out with friends in our homes is not all that far away. But we are not there yet. And acting as though we are can make things a lot worse between now and the time we get there.
We need to make things better. We all need to continue to act cautiously and responsibly. We need to keep each other safe.
Sincerely,
Carlo Ciotoli, MD, MPA
Exec. Lead, NYU COVID-19 Prevention & Response Team
