This afternoon, County Executive George Latimer and I had lunch together at Eden Wok, a kosher Asian restaurant in the Wykagyl section of New Rochelle. Our intent was not just to have a tasty meal — although it was delicious — our intent was to demonstrate confidence in a neighborhood and business district that have suffered in recent days because of concerns about coronavirus. You can view our comments here.
Setting aside, of course, residents who are quarantined and have no option, many others in the region may simply be choosing to avoid restaurants and businesses that are perceived to be in some sort of “danger zone.” Perhaps this is understandable, but the virus does not linger around a whole neighbor like a cloud; it is shared through close contact between individuals. And complete withdrawal from the commerce and life of our larger community creates its own problems.
Everyone’s risk tolerance is different, and each of us is entitled to make our own judgments. But at a certain point, risk avoidance becomes debilitating and disproportionate to the real threat. Sure, you can avoid any chance of a car accident by never driving, yet few of us would make that trade.
For George Latimer and myself, this was an easy call — an excellent meal, a demonstration of support for our neighbors, and every confidence of good health to follow. If you have a similar outlook, please make a point of continuing to patronize local businesses. This is a time to come together and do our part for each other.