Photos of New York City during the coronavirus crisis
On a normal day, Times Square would be packed with people. But on March 22, 2020, a stay-at-home order shut down New York in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Streets are largely empty. Offices, theaters and many other businesses have closed. Landmarks sit abandoned.
What follows is an album of photos of New York City, America's most populous city, during the coronavirus crisis of 2020.
A warning light
The Empire State Building was topped with a swirling red light to indicate the city's state of emergency.
A makeshift morgue
Because of the overwhelming number of virus-related deaths, these hospital workers use a refrigerator truck as a makeshift morgue.
Virus's deadly toll
Here, another body is loaded into a refrigerator truck.
Much-needed assistance
Here, the USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship, sits in front of the midtown skyline. The ship was sent to take some of the strain off of the already-crowded hospitals on land.
A show of support
New Yorkers greeted the USNS Comfort as it traveled north on the Hudson River on March 30, 2020.
Outside a funeral home
Discarded protective equipment piles up in the garbage outside of a funeral home.
"We're all in this together"
Members of the Army National Guard patrol the perimeter at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The event venue has been converted into a temporary hospital amid the COVID-19 emergency.
Army personnel staff the hospital
U.S. Army personnel staff the makeshift hospital at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Cubicles with curtains
These cubicles will function as hospital rooms.
The public health battlefield
This convention center is where they normally host New York's Comic Con. Now, soldiers and citizens must pass a preliminary screening — comprised of questions and a temperature check — before entering the facility.
Inside the Javits Medical Station
Army Specialist Daniel Fields takes a patient's blood pressure at the Javits New York Medical Station.
A usually bustling travel hub
Grand Central Terminal is all but abandoned.
Fearless, but protected
As positive cases of COVID-19 ballooned in New York City, someone put a mask on the Fearless Girl statue.
No bell ringing for now
The New York Stock Exchange floor was closed in March to allow workers to trade remotely.
New York Stock Exchange goes digital
Before NYSE traders were sent home, some wore medical masks and gloves to work. Traders have been working remotely since Monday, March 23.
Taking precautions, even with the dead
A health care worker wears protective gear over most of his body while moving a deceased patient into a makeshift morgue in Brooklyn.
A tiger tests positive
An ambulance enters the Bronx Zoo, where a tiger tested positive for the coronavirus. This case is the first known animal infection in the United States. Several other of the zoo's big cats have also exhibited symptoms of the infection.
Lady Liberty is alone
Ducks congregate on the grass in Liberty State Park in New Jersey, with the Statue of Liberty visible in the background.
An emergency hospital in Central Park
On the East Meadow lawn of Central Park, a temporary hospital equipped with 68 beds was built to accommodate the overflow of COVID-19 patients.
Inside an emergency hospital tent
This is what it looks like inside the temporary hospital tents.
A thank you to health care workers
The sidewalk outside of one emergency room reads "NYC loves you," a message of support for health care workers.
A message for those on the front lines
Here, another person writes words of encouragement outside New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital.
Demanding protective equipment
Despite the outpouring of public support, some medical professionals, like this nurse in the Bronx, say they still don't have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep them safe from virus exposure.
Six feet back
Some local companies are making thousands of protective hospital gowns for the city's health care workers. Employees sewing the gowns wear shirts reminding others to keep their distance.
A vacant World Trade Center
The Oculus World Trade Center transportation hub sits virtually empty under the fog.
She's the only one here
The Fearless Girl statue stands facing the New York Stock Exchange. On March 16, 2020, stocks suffered their worst single day in more than 30 years.
New York Times works from home
The New York Times office is also closed.
The shows won't go on for a while
Broadway theaters remain closed during the lockdown.
No Rockettes today
Performances at Radio City Music Hall have been postponed indefinitely.
Empty vistas
This was the scene on the Central Park mall on March 31, 2020.
Sheltering in place
The Brooklyn Bridge walkway is usually packed with people walking dogs, jogging and taking pictures. During the coronavirus crisis, there's no one in sight.
No one skating
The rink at Rockefeller Center closed in early 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
How much is that mask in the window?
Protective masks are displayed in a store window in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood.
Amazon deliveries continue
Amazon Prime deliveries are still making their way to customers, despite a protest in Staten Island on March 31, 2020.
Donated supplies
Medical workers in Staten Island pose with donated medical supplies.
Fresh air
A health care worker takes a walk near the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.
Medical oxygen
Oxygen and ventilators have been a hot topic on the national political stage. Here, a shipment of oxygen arrives at a Brooklyn hospital.
Picking up prescriptions
Pharmacy workers talk with customers from behind thick sheets of plastic to try to limit transmission of the virus.
Aid from Russia
It's not just the American military bringing much-needed medical supplies to New York. A Russian Aerospace Forces plane brought a delivery of supplies to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Staying fashionable
A woman in a red studded mask pauses as she takes a walk along an empty Wall Street on April 2, 2020.
A moment of (almost) normalcy
A man in a surgical mask sits on the sidewalk reading a newspaper.
A bit of sunshine
Children eat and play on a balcony during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many public spaces, including playgrounds, are closed until further notice.
Shopping in gloves and a mask
Some grocery stores, like Trader Joe's, have implemented social distancing protocols to ensure customers have plenty of space to shop safely.
Here, Brooklyn shoppers wear masks and gloves to protect themselves and others.
Social distancing at the butcher shop
Lines outside of stores are perforated by six-foot gaps.
Closed for cleaning
A woman reads a sign outside of a Manhattan Trader Joe's announcing that the store is temporarily closed for deep-cleaning amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Empty grocery store shelves
On March 13, 2020, this store was all but emptied as panic buying struck the city.
Cashiers in masks
In this Bushwick market, both customers and cashiers wear masks.
This was taken at rush hour
The subway system, an inextricable part of life in the city, is running with far fewer passengers.
"Don't ride the subway if you don't have to"
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is actively discouraging people from using public transit. This sign in Times Square reads, "Do the right thing. Don't ride the subway if you don't have to."
Oculus transit hub
Here, two NYPD officers walk through the empty Oculus transit hub at One World Trade Center.
Some still ride
But some people still need to ride the subway to get to work at essential jobs.
Abandoned tunnels
More people are wearing face masks as a precaution.
Masks on the subway
This man wore something resembling a gas mask on the subway on March 31, 2020.
Gloves on
Others wear gloves to avoid touching surfaces like subway poles with their bare hands.
Streets closed to cars
Some streets are closed to vehicle traffic to give pedestrians more space to walk. An NYPD officer directs cars away from those streets.
"Open Streets" for pedestrians
This sign marks the beginning of one such "Open Streets" area. These paths allow people to properly exercise social distancing while walking outside.
Room for rollerblading
In one "Open Streets" area, two people rollerblade down Park Avenue.
Nobody in sight
Here is another view of the eerily empty Times Square from March 31, 2020.
Empty streets
Normally bustling streets in Harlem are quiet during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Fifth Avenue quiet
Fifth Avenue is devoid of traffic as many New Yorkers remain at home to stop the spread of coronavirus.
A somber dog walk
A person in a mask walks two dogs in Central Park.
Governor Andrew Cuomo
In this photo, Governor Andrew Cuomo is seen at a March 30 press conference discussing temporary hospitals around the city.
An emergency hospital in Queens
The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens was also being converted into a temporary hospital.
De Blasio tours the tennis center space
Mayor Bill de Blasio toured the tennis courts at the Billie Jean King Center, which will soon house 350 hospital beds for coronavirus patients.
Opening day postponed
The digital billboard outside of Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, flashes "Stay Safe, Stay Home."
Restaurants closed
A sign at the Asian Garden Chinese restaurant notes that service will resume on May 1, 2020.
The ice cream truck song has gone quiet
Ice cream trucks remained parked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Construction suspended
Companies were ordered to pause many construction projects, leaving heavy machinery parked in the street.
Flatten the curve
Even the highways leading into the city are empty. Signs encourage drivers to comply with social distancing measures.