Months Later, Some New Yorkers Are Still Banging Pots to Thank Frontline Workers

Sept. 28, 2021 -- When the coronavirus pandemic locked down the nation’s largest metropolis successful the outpouring of 2020, New Yorkers flocked to their windows to bang their pots and pans and outcry their acknowledgment to wellness attraction workers and archetypal responders for redeeming a metropolis ravaged by COVID-19.

But arsenic the pandemic wore on, and galore succumbed to crisis fatigue, the whoops and hollers for the wellness attraction workers slowed, replaced by the accustomed sound of honking cars and chatty pedestrians. But 18 months later, immoderate of the faithful are inactive saluting these heroes, writes Darcie Wilder successful this Gawker piece.

This nightly ritual has continued successful neighborhoods passim the city, including nightly renditions of “God Bless America” connected the Upper West Side and noise-making minutes successful Hell’s Kitchen, a New York City vicinity that bore overmuch of the brunt of the pandemic. This is besides the vicinity that saw the accomplishment of the USNS Comfort vessel connected the Hudson River and, months later, the opening of the Javits Center arsenic a wide vaccination tract for country residents.

“I deliberation it’s beauteous and heartwarming that they’re retired determination each night,” says Aleta LaFargue, an histrion who lives successful Hell’s Kitchen. “We’re not retired of the storm, and radical are inactive getting sick, truthful I deliberation it’s truly bully that there’s this gratitude and a reminder of what’s going connected retired determination successful the metropolis and successful the world.”

Ask Gail Saltz, MD, a objective subordinate prof of psychiatry astatine New York Presbyterian Hospital, the big of the “How Can I Help?" podcast from iHeartRadio, and a New Yorker herself. She says there’s thing precise affirmative astir continuing this nightly tradition.

“If cheering helps you consciousness similar you’re doing thing affirmative successful the look of a batch of helplessness successful the pandemic, past yes, that’s steadfast for your mind,” she says. “If cheering gives you a consciousness of gratitude for wellness attraction workers and different helpers, past that’s besides healthy.”

It besides feels bully to travel done connected a promise.

“For america successful New York City, it’s this thought of, ‘OMG these indispensable workers, the hospitals are full, we won’t beryllium capable to repay them for what they did for us,’” says Phil O'Brien, exertion and steadfast of W42ST, a regular newsletter and website. “I respect those who person the peculiar intent to retrieve this erstwhile it would beryllium truthful overmuch easier to fto beingness get successful the way.”

Continuing to bash a 7 p.m. shout-out mightiness besides beryllium therapeutic, fixed anxiety-producing headlines and concerning COVID-19 numbers and stats.

“The pandemic is ongoing, truthful doing things that assistance you to consciousness little anxious, to boost your temper and to get enactment -- portion maintaining information -- is each inactive important,” Saltz says.

Ultimately, for galore New Yorkers, the extremity is the same: To ne'er forget.

“It’s casual successful our civilization to acquisition immoderate atrocity and then, a week later, we’re onto the adjacent thing,” LaFargue says. “This ritual is banging you successful the caput to punctual you that this [isn’t] over. There’s a worth to that.”