'We're all in this together, I'm just doing my part,' - New York City social distancing ambassador
Record ID:
1560378
'We're all in this together, I'm just doing my part,' - New York City social distancing ambassador
- Title: 'We're all in this together, I'm just doing my part,' - New York City social distancing ambassador
- Date: 2nd July 2020
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADORS, NNEKA NZEKWU AND ERIN BERRY, HANDING OUT FACE MASKS, PATROLLING STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADOR IN NEW YORK CITY, LAWYER, NNEKA NZEKWU, SAYING: "Well, my 9 to 5 is an attorney. But ever since COVID hit New York City, they did ask for people to volunteer, handing out masks in the park and informing people about social distancing. So, that's what I do two days of the week now." NZEKWU HANDING OUT MASKS NZEKWU AND BERRY TALKING AND GETTING READY FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADOR WORK (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADOR IN NEW YORK CITY, TRIAL LAWYER, ERIN BERRY, SAYING: "It just feels nice to connect with the community. It's... like... COVID has been really isolating, and so being out here, seeing everybody, seeing everybody trying their best has really been encouraging and has given me a lot of hope." BERRY WORKING BERRY AND NZEKWU TAKING OUT MORE MASKS FROM BAG TO GIVE TO PUBLIC (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADOR IN NEW YORK CITY, LAWYER, NNEKA NZEKWU, SAYING: "As a social distancing ambassador, our job is to hand out masks to people, inform them that they should be sitting six feet apart, and we hand out cards to let them know about COVID testing." BERRY HANDING OUT MASK (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADOR IN NEW YORK CITY, LAWYER, NNEKA NZEKWU, SAYING: "There... there's just been a few people who've had limited resources for a variety of reasons. I think that different shops and stores in different neighborhoods have run out of masks, and, so, early in June, at the end of May, when we were out here, people hadn't had the opportunity to get new masks in a while. And, so, they were really happy to see us. They were super grateful. The city was taking the initiative to put people in the community to hand out masks." BERRY AND NZEKWU WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADOR IN NEW YORK CITY, LAWYER, NNEKA NZEKWU, SAYING: "People have been very receptive, like it's a free mask. People definitely take it. A lot of people aren't interested in finding out more about testing." NZEKWU HANDING OUT MASK (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOCIAL DISTANCING AMBASSADOR IN NEW YORK CITY, LAWYER, NNEKA NZEKWU, SAYING: "Well, the idea is we are all in this together, and I just wanted to be able to do my part and help out." BERRY AND NZEKWU WALKING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN RIVERSIDE PARK
- Embargoed: 16th July 2020 20:50
- Keywords: COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic social distancing ambassador
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CL4BI2V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: On a 91-degree, late Thursday (July 2) morning in July, two lawyers for the city of New York City, Nneka Nzekwu and Erin Berry, put on neon lime green vests and started their day as social distancing ambassadors.
"As a social distancing ambassador, our job is to hand out masks to people, inform them that they should be sitting six feet apart, and we hand out cards to let them know about COVID testing," said Nzekwu, who normally works as an assistant corporation counsel that deals with cases anytime someone sues the city.
Nneke and Berry are two of 2,300 volunteers that make up the social distancing ambassador program that New York City's Mayor, Bill de Blasio, introduced in early May.
The idea was to use public servants to keep police out of social distancing and mask enforcement, and avoid clashes with the public.
It was Nzekwu's idea to volunteer for the program, said Berry, a trial lawyer for the city.
Both colleagues and friends wanted to have a good reason to leave the confinement of their homes and help people.
"It just feels nice to connect with the community," Berry said. "COVID has been really isolating, and so being out here, seeing everybody, seeing everybody trying their best has really been encouraging and has given me a lot of hope."
Once the epicenter of the U.S. epidemic, New York saw cases rise by about 6% in June - the lowest rate in the entire country.
(Production: Aleksandra Michalska) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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