How did New York City become the American coronavirus epicentre?

Among the 50 states in the United States, New York accounts for 43 per cent of all COVID-19 cases. And within the state, New York City is the worst-hit.

Why NYC?

There are numerous reasons why NYC is increasingly becoming the country’s coronavirus hotbed.

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The most important reason is the city's massive population. New York is the largest and the most densely populated city in America.

With 27,000 people living per square mile, the city is characterised by crowded subways and bustling streets.

Almost five million people ride the subway every single day.

Social distancing is not a common practice in the city, something that even Mayor Bill de Blasio admitted to.The city has also been testing a lot more than the rest of the country.

It was the first state to call for the services of private labs.

And as experts have concluded, more testing equals identification of more positive cases.

New York accounts for 25 per cent of all the testing that is being done in the US.

However, community transmission was first reported on March 2, however public gatherings were banned much later. To be precise, the administration took the call after ten days.

Schools too continued to remain open, even after 2,300 confirmed cases.

Global city suffers

New York's pedigree as a global city worked against it.

It is one of the most visited cities in the world, for both business and leisure trips. In 2018, 65 million people visited the city.

And not to mention, the city is home to two of the busiest airports in America.