"People Have Just Gone Nuts": Wealthy NY Suburb Gripped By Hysteria After Local Family Diagnosed With Covid-19
猶太人聚居的富裕紐約近郊受武漢肺炎感染，引起集體恐慌
New Rochelle, NY is offering the rest of America a glimpse
into what happens once Covid-19 has arrived in your home town.
New York Times reporter Sarah Maslin Nir visited New
Rochelle yesterday and started reporting. She wandered around the mostly
deserted down town, talking to restaurant workers and a handful of patrons
brave enough to defy the rumors.
記者到來採訪時發覺街道行人稀少，只見少許勇敢的餐廳顧客和休閒的侍應。
By Wednesday evening, it had become clear that the virus was
spreading in the community: Gov. Andrew Cuomo had confirmed that the man's wife
son and daughter had all tested positive for the virus, as did a neighbor who
drove him to the hospital last week. And just a few minutes ago, Cuomo
confirmed the number of cases in the state had risen to 11, with ten of those
11 cases in Westchester.
But even before Cuomo's first press conference on Tuesday,
word had already gotten out: A local had been infected with the dangerous new
flu-like virus from China. Nowhere outside would be safe.
By the time Cuomo held his first press conference yesterday,
word had already gotten out.
Even before the latest news, worry had already seeped across
New Rochelle. At Mikey Dubb’s Frozen Custard shop, the custard machines whirred
idle, and at Eden Wok, a kosher Chinese restaurant, workers stood in a doorway,
anxiously peering around for customers.
伊甸園，一間適合猶太潔食的中國餐廳，侍應站在門後面看出
來等待食客來光顧。
One diner customer who spoke with Nir said she would wash
her hands carefully once she returned home. She added that she felt
"terribly sorry" for the victim and his family........
Some congregants at a local temple were surprised to find it
closed Tuesday afternoon. In fact, congregants who had attended certain events
were asked to self-quarantine.
Shortly before dusk on Tuesday, Nathan Lindenbaum, an
accountant, had walked up to the temple doors of Young Israel of New Rochelle
for evening prayers. He was perplexed to find them locked, and the synagogue
empty. The man with coronavirus had attended services there.
由於受武漢肺炎感染者曾到過參拜，市內所有猶太教堂和社區中心也被立令關閉。
由於受武漢肺炎感染者曾到過參拜，市內所有猶太教堂和社區中心也被立令關閉。
Hours before, the Westchester County health commissioner had
ordered all services at the synagogue to halt, and the congregants who attended
a funeral and a bat mitzvah there on Feb. 23 to self-quarantine in their homes.
Over 100 families are under the order, according to the New Rochelle mayor,
Noam Bramson......
The mayor also hashed out thornier contingencies - including
whether the New Rochelle Police Department would have to intercede if the
self-quarantine had to be enforced. ".......
The same day as the man’s diagnosis on Tuesday, Josh
Berkowitz, the owner of Eden Wok in New Rochelle, hired a public relations
specialist and started offering 15-percent-off coupons to stem an anticipated
drop in diners.
伊甸園的老板Josh Berkowitz已聘請了公關專家來幫忙，還減了價以作吸引顧客。但即使是繁忙時段，全間餐廳也只有一枱客人。
Tending to his single table of customers during what is
usually the dinner rush, Mr. Berkowitz answered the phone. A fellow caterer was
calling to express shock at an order he had just received.
"The customer wanted sushi, but told him..." Mr.
Berkowitz said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He didn’t want any
Asians to touch it."
老板還告訴記者，剛剛有行家打電話來，說有顧客電話落單外買，但叮囑不要讓亞州人觸摸他的食物。
老板還告訴記者，剛剛有行家打電話來，說有顧客電話落單外買，但叮囑不要讓亞州人觸摸他的食物。
Mr. Berkowitz shook his head. "People have just gone
nuts," he said.....
