ABSTRACT
New York City—a busy, bustling, and lively metropolis—shuddered to an unprecedented halt in the Spring of 2020. The very strengths of the city—a multicultural, diverse people, an active public transport system, and a high population density—turned out to be a perfect milieu for the pandemic to strike at the very core of its existence. In this chapter, the authors discuss the humbling experience the virus brought to New York; the courageous response of essential workers and the magnification of socioeconomic disparities that became evident during the first wave. Lastly, the authors hope lessons are learnt on how even a well-resourced, well-equipped city can be devastated by a pandemic of such proportions.
