Air pollution remained higher in minority communities during the pandemic, revealing persistent health disparities go.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from go.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
And New Yorkers themselves were relatively tentative about stepping inside to chow down together, even on one of the most popular days of the year for such an activity and after months of restrictions.
Last spring, New York City was at the global center of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed 28,341 in the city as of Monday, according to official figures.
The state then experienced a huge winter peak that was worse than the spring surge. Infection rates are now back on the decline, according to data compiled by the New York Times.
City restaurant owners – who from Thursday were permitted to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity – said they saw a rush of business on Valentine’s weekend, but there was some trepidation and less of the normal exuberance that traditionally sees dramatic proposals and grand romantic gestures.