dailymail | High-end stores throughout New York such
as Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana are boarding up their windows
in anticipation of civil unrest as the death toll in the city reached
1,867 on Friday with 305 new deaths.
The
wealthy businesses had already been ordered closed along with bars and
restaurants as part of the shelter in place protections but they are now
taking further steps to secure their property and products as the
city's police department suffers high numbers of officers calling in
sick with the coronavirus raging through its ranks.
New
York City cases spiked to 57,159 on Friday night with 5,350 new cases,
as the national total rose to 277,999 confirmed cases and 7,164
deaths.
Boarded up windows and empty
streets have transformed the city that never sleeps into a war zone with
city officials sending out on an emergency alert to New Yorkers'
cellphones on Friday calling on health workers to present themselves for
battle against the coronavirus outbreak on the front lines in the
city's overstretched, overwhelmed and under resourced hospitals.
The alert came amid warnings that New York City will run out of crucial
supplies by the end of next week and that Sunday will be 'D-Day' in
terms of assessing what is needed for the weeks going forward.
Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo and Louis
Vuitton were among the Manhattan stores to cover up their windows with
plywood in the past week as the crisis in the city worsened despite
streets being empty of customers or even passersby.
The
rows of boarded up buildings create a stark reminder of the newly
unemployed workers who lost their jobs after the scale of the outbreak
caused stores, bars and restaurants to shut their doors for the
foreseeable future.
Some businesses
attempted to light the mood on the closures, despite the rows of plywood
covering their entrance, painting messages of support and encouragement
that the coronavirus will be beaten.
Throughout Manhattan, the unsightly coverings are offset with the words of motivation.
'We are all in this together,' one reads. 'Stay save. Save lives.'
Louis
Vuitton in Soho was among the storefronts to leave its customers a
messages on the wooden boards guarding its property reading: 'The
journey that was paused will eventually start again, Louis Vuitton
wishes you & your loved ones health & safety.’
