Pandemic Lockdown Diary

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic here in New York City, I began taking notes in a section of my notebook I titled "Lockdown Diary". I periodically updated this section with brief descriptions of my life, observations, and current events throughout the pandemic. By the time New York City met N.Y. State's Phase-1 regulations and started reopening, we found ourselves in the midst of social and political turmoil following the death of George Floyd; as a result, my lockdown diary became more of a protest diary.

Lockdown Diary

March - June 2020

Early March
I cannot see the pandemic impacting our lives seriously. The calm before the storm?

Week of Mar. 9

The crisis and the media coverage seems to be amplified. Trump stops travel from Europe. S and I joked about a possible lockdown.

Thurs Mar. 12

The situation seems dire. Stores packed. People panicking that everything will shut down. There was a feeling in the air - fear; panic; paranoia. I am not ready. After I gave the situation some thought, I calmed down.

Fri Mar. 13

Long lines in grocery store. People rushing and grabbing as much as they can. Again, I was flustered. I heard a father tell his son that everybody is getting crazy but "soon enough we're gonna find out everything's OK". I wonder if he is also telling himself this. Close friends and family now working remote.

Sat Mar. 14

Quiet weekend. Roommates moved out. Did lots of cleaning. Relax into the space that's been created.

Sun Mar. 14

E and I played music. V cooked dinner. We had dinner together.

Mon Mar. 16

Crazy day at work. Everyone knows this is serious and things will change. We had a meeting - we will WFH until further notice.

Tues Mar. 17 - Thurs Mar. 19

I'm trying to stick to my routine but I am getting up late and working late. Tuesday was the quietest day I've seen; the weather was cold and rainy. Work is busy. It's great to focus on work.

Fri Mar. 20

Office is closed for the foreseeable future. Warm 70-deg weather today. Everybody is out - New Yorkers need to keep moving! My walks are essential.

Tues Mar. 24

Had a phone interview which went well. Went for a walk. The parks are packed. Makes me second guess going out.

Wed Mar. 25

Cloudy, didn’t go out much. Lazy. Busy at work. More reports of healthy, young people getting very sick. E feeling better - hope he's OK now.

Mon Mar. 30

V's job terminated. I know my job could also be in danger.

Tues Apr. 7

Fourth week of quarantine. Bernie drops out of presidential race.

April, unknown date

Saw a man DJing out of his 2nd floor apartment window, two speakers pointed towards the street, on the Northeast corner of Leonard and Grand.

700pm 'cheer' for essential workers - getting louder each day with more people clapping; Sinatra's New York, New York can be heard throughout the neighborhood, as well as cowbells and other noisemakers. The sounds reverberate between the buildings.

I saw a man enter Bushwick Inlet Park with a flagpole. I thought the flag read "I love you, keep on going" or something similar. Whistling proudly, he marched straight to the beach and looked out across the river with a hand raised to shield his eyes. Maybe someone across the river was watching him with binoculars? He walked to the edge of the beach and walked out the other side. It made me cry, wondering if he was doing it for a loved one.

Sat Apr. 11

31st birthday. Did laundry by hand - put on some Moroccan music and had some fun. Zoom with E and C, then later with parents.

Thurs Apr. 16

Starting to settle into a routine which keeps me motivated and energized.

Wed Apr. 22

Our 3-year anniversary. 50 years Earth Day. While we waited for takeout the restaurant gave us a free beer.

Sat May 3

Third visit to Fort Tilden.*

Sun May 4

Woke up at 4am - neighbors dancing in the street, giving each other salsa lessons.

Tues May 12

Visited parents on Mother's Day, first time seeing them since lockdown started. Kept our social distance. Work - will not return to office for at least 90 days. News - virus came from a Wuhan lab? 

Thurs May 14

Lettuce livestreams listening party for new album Resonate.*

Fri May 15

We got margaritas to go and walked around the neighborhood.

Fri May 29

Still in lockdown. This week a cop killed George Floyd. Riots in MN. Protests in NYC.

Mon Jun. 1

Lockdown still happening. Many protests throughout country. Trump making it worse. Curfew in place throughout the city.

Wed Jun. 3

We went to McCarren for protest and marched down Union past the precinct. Lots of videos of police brutality against protestors: pepper spray, rubber bullets. This feels like the real deal, like a revolution.

Mon Jun. 8

8pm curfew lifted. City starts Phase 1 of reopening.*

Jun. 9, 10

50-A repealed. Went to McCarren gathering both days. Street artists finished a mural of George Floyd on the wall of the corner bodega. The mural reads "Know Justice, Know Peace".*

Sat Jun. 13

Went to Washington Square Park protest.

Tues Jun. 16

Attended McCarren gathering. Marched down Driggs to Washington Monument.

Throughout the remaining days of summer I would continue to take notes and audio recordings of some of the protests I attended. I will post these recordings at a later date. 

Life events including birthdays and anniversaries happened during the lockdown. I learned new words to describe our new world. Looking back, I realized that before the lockdown was officially 'over' we were also under an 8pm curfew due to protests throughout the city.

Footnotes:

• Frequent visits to Fort Tilden during lockdown served as the inspiration for my essay on the fort's history.
• Lettuce listening party livestream. This album release and the subsequent listening party provided a lot of feel-good vibes through a rough time.
• Lockdown began on March 20, 2020 and continued until June 8, 2020. For more information visit: NYS and NYC COVID-19 pandemic wiki page.
• NYS legislation 50-A repealed.
• To see more photos of the BLM protests in New York City, visit vanessahock.com.