Coronavirus: Louis Vuitton and other high-end New York stores board up fearing civil unrest during lockdown
Wealthy businesses in New York like Louis Vuitton and Tourneo are reportedly securing their stores by boarding up their windows in anticipation of civil unrest as the coronavirus death toll reached 1,867 in the area on Friday, April 3.
After the shelter in place guidance by the state authorities, high-end stores had already been closed along with bars and restaurants, however, these businesses are now increasing the security of their property and products as New York City's police department has been severely affected by the deadly virus with many officers calling in sick. COVID-19 in NYC reached over 57,000 on Friday night, noting an increase of 5,350 new cases.
The empty city roads, with multiple stores boarded up, appeared like a war zone with officials sending out an emergency alert to the cellphones of the residents, calling on health workers to assist in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak on the frontlines. Reports state that the city's under-resourced hospitals and other medical facilities have been overwhelmed with the number of COVID-19 patients coming in every day. The alert from city officials came amid warnings that the NYC will run out of crucial supplies by the end of next week, the Daily Mail reported.
Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, and Louis Vuitton were among the stores which were boarded up in Manhattan, with plywood covering up their windows and glass doors. The measures were taken despite the streets in the city bereft of customers or passersby. It is not certain when the stores can be back in business again. Some of the businesses in NYC, however, attempted to lighten the mood by painting messages of support and encouragement on the plywoods, stating that the virus will be defeated.
"We are all in this together," one message read, while another stated: "Stay save. Save lives." Luxury brand Louis Vuitton was among the stores to leave a message for its customers 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."
The boarding up of the stores occurred shortly after the New York Police Department revealed the extent to which its force has been affected by the virus. The department, earlier this week, urged the government to send more masks for officers, the White House, however, turned the request into a publicity stunt with the name 'Operation Blue Bloods" and boasted about its own response in NYC.
NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan, on Monday, April 30, had sent an email to the White House pleading for more protective gear as shortages of masks left officers at an increased risk of contracting the deadly infection. The officers are routinely making house calls across the city without any protective equipmentnt to save them from contracting COVID-19.
Recent figures state that at least 6,498 uniformed members of the city police department were on the sick report, amounting to 18 percent of the workforce, while 1,354 uniformed members and 169 civilian members of the department have tested positive for the deadly virus.