The first epicenter of Covid-19 was Wuhan Province, China; then northern Italy, then Spain. The US is likely to become the next epicenter. And the epicenter of the epicenter will likely be New York City or New Orleans. New York City has a population of 8.6 million people crowded into in 302 square miles. New Orleans has a mere population of 394,00 occupying a larger area, 350 square miles. How could New Orleans possibly compete to win the shameless title of epicenter champion?
One answer: Mardi Gras, a “rolling carnival parade,” a “ritual in motion” and “virological accelerant.”
Here’s a report from MSNBC: Mardi Gras, Coronavirus Make ‘Perfect Storm’ Crisis in Louisiana
Now the opposite: A story about being Jewish and keeping the distance: Burial in the Age of Covid-19.
And a story about being Irish while keeping the distance: A Good Death Is a Rite of Irish Life. Amid Coronavirus, That Looks Different