Just about a week after New York City entered Phase 1 out of a 4-Phase reopening plan, the city became crowded again with maskless citizens gathering around public places.
And the voices of influential brands seem to be missing.
As bars seemed to be populated with young, action-seeking bar-goers thirsty for a drink, or two, most weren’t wearing face masks, and no social distancing practiced either – we all need to turn the volume back up on calls from influencers to follow instructions.
“Don’t make me come down there…” Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, tweeted after seeing a video of the East Village packed with hip revelers.
Don’t make me come down there… https://t.co/OeVGMW7LEO
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 13, 2020
Shortly before that, at a news conference, Cuomo demonstrated how to put a mask on correctly in hopes of preventing ineffective wearing.
“This is nothing. I don’t know what this is,” said Cuomo, as he was pointing to his mask lowered to his chin. “This is like a form of a chin guard. It may be a fashion statement. It may be cool, but this accomplishes nothing. It’s not a mask.”
But still, the crowds persist. Maskless.
The Washington Post reported that at a Brooklyn beer garden, patrons happily sipped on lagers for hours. While in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, they were partying after dark.
After months of lockdown, it seems many were finally ready to get some fresh air. An angry local told the New York Post, “It looks like Ohio State decided to have Spring Break tonight.” While another local said, “They’re not wearing masks. I don’t even think they live here. They’re just here to party.”
It looks as if these partygoers have forgotten about the deadly virus that is still going around and the 20,000+ New Yorker deaths it recently caused.
“We must balance safety with people’s need to reopen their businesses,” said a spokesperson for New York’s City Hall. “We don’t believe imprisoning people or taking away their livelihood is the answer.”
While Cuomo firmly persists, “I know it’s tedious, but it’s also very important. I said to the local governments yesterday this is their job. And if they don’t do their job, then they’re going to have an unpopular task, which is explained to their local community why they have to slow or start the reopening.”
He was also said to call several bars from the images that flooded the internet over the weekend to tell them personally, even provoking liquor licenses. After all, outdoor dining isn’t set to happen until Phase 2.
We believe anyone with a platform should use it to help inform communities – and brands are 100% part of that fabric. We encourage marketers to use their platforms and messages to help keep their customers aware and informed. Duty calls.