The New York Times. April 04, 2020

THE NEW YORK TIMES, SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020 N A

It has been about two weeks
since the Illinois governor ordered
residents to stay at home, but noth-
ing has changed about Adarra Ben-
jamin’s responsibilities. She gets on
a bus nearly every morning in Chi-
cago, traveling 20 miles round trip
some days to cook, clean and shop
for her clients, who are older or
have health problems that make
such tasks difficult.
Ms. Benjamin knows the dan-
gers, but she needs her job, which
pays about $13 an hour. She also
cannot imagine leaving her clients
to fend for themselves. “They’ve
become my family,” she said.
In cities across America, many
lower-income workers continue to
move around, while those who
make more money are staying
home and limiting their exposure
to the coronavirus, according to
smartphone location data analyzed
by The New York Times.
Although people in all income
groups are moving less than they
did before the crisis, wealthier peo-
ple are staying home the most, es-
pecially during the workweek. Not

only that, but in nearly every state,
they began doing so days before
the poor, giving them a head start
on social distancing as the virus
spread, according to aggregated
data from the location analysis
company Cuebiq, which tracks
about 15 million cellphone users na-
tionwide daily.
The data offers real-time evi-
dence of a divide laid bare by the
coronavirus pandemic — one in
which wealthier people not only
have more job security and bene-
fits but also may be better able to
avoid becoming sick. The outbreak
is so new that the relationship be-
tween socioeconomic status and in-
fection rates cannot be determined,
but other data, including recent
statistics released by public health

officials in New York City, suggests

that the coronavirus is hitting low-

income neighborhoods the hard-

est.

Concerns about getting infected

have incited protests and strikes

by workers in grocery stores, de-

livery services and other indus-

tries who say their employers are

not providing them with enough

protection or compensation to

counter the increased health risks,

even as their jobs have been

deemed essential.

Rules vary among states, but es-

sential workers generally include

those in health care and public

safety roles, as well as caregivers,

delivery drivers, grocery clerks

and plumbers. Hardware stores,

pharmacies and takeout restau-

rants also remain open and staffed.

All of these workers are able to

stay on the job — a boon in an econ-

omy seized by shutdowns — but in

most cases they cannot claim un-

employment benefits if they quit.

“People want to talk about this

virus as an equal opportunity

pathogen, but it’s really not,” said

Dr. Ashwin Vasan, a doctor and

public health professor at Colum-

bia University. “It’s going right to

the fissures in our society.”

The mobility data provides a

snapshot in time, and the behav-

iors it captures could change amid

a fast-moving crisis. Although sev-

eral public policy experts who re-

viewed the data said it strongly in-

dicated that wealthier people are

better able to stay home, they add-

ed that there could be other rea-

sons for the differences — perhaps

higher awareness of the risks or

better access to information, for

example — and others that are not

yet obvious.

Economists and public health

researchers said the data pointed

to holes in the government’s re-

sponse to the pandemic’s fallout

for low-income workers, which has

focused on those who have lost

their jobs because of shutdowns

and not on those with essential du-

ties.

“Covid-19 is exposing a lot of the

structural disadvantages that low-

income people face,” including a

lack of job security and uneven ac-

cess to health care, said Adie

Tomer, a fellow at the Brookings

Institution who has studied the es-

sential work force. “The well-off

are employed in industries where

they are at a desk, and so there are

some advantages built into these

high-income neighborhoods dur-

ing this pandemic,” he added.

In metro areas with the greatest

disparity between the richest and

the poorest residents — and where

there are orders to stay home —

people in higher-income neighbor-

hoods have essentially halted

movement. People in lower-in-

come neighborhoods have also

drastically reduced their move-

ment, but the data shows an uptick

in their movements after the third

weekend of March, coinciding with

the start of another workweek.

In other areas where income dis-

parity was not as high, it was much

more likely that both the richest

and poorest continued to move.

These cities were also in places

that were less likely to have man-

dated that residents stay home.

Many essential workers are in

lower-income jobs and have posi-

tions that require them to leave

home and work face-to-face with

others, economists said. “The peo-

ple at this income, they’re either

furloughed and not coming in to

work, or they are essential con-

struction, grocery cashiers, work-

ers in long-term care institutions,”

said Matthew Rae, who directs a

program on health care markets at

the Kaiser Family Foundation.

“And hundreds of thousands of

them don’t have health insurance.”

Ms. Benjamin, the health

worker in Chicago’s Woodlawn

neighborhood, is 26 and among

those without health insurance.

She carries bottled soap and hand

sanitizer with her and is vigilant

about not touching her face. But

she is worried.

“I do have gloves, but I just ran

out of masks,” she said, “and I have

no idea where I’m going to get any

from.”

Just 15 miles north of Ms. Ben-

jamin, in the Uptown neighbor-

hood, John Williams has been

working at home since March 16,

five days before the governor’s or-

der went into effect. A communica-

tions worker for nonprofits, Mr.

Williams said people on his team

were already used to telecommut-

ing but that his husband, a high

school music teacher, had faced

more challenges.“Honestly, we are

grateful for the privilege and secu-

rity we have at the moment, knock

on wood,” he said. “It’s uncomfort-

able, but it’s not life-threateningly

scary.”

As federal lawmakers contend

with shuttered businesses and mil-

lions of people suddenly out of

work, little of their legislation has

been tailored to help essential

workers affected by the pandemic.

These workers will get the same

stimulus checks that other people

get from the $2 trillion economic

stabilization package, and the sec-

ond phase of the coronavirus legis-

lation expanded the mandate for

paid sick leave related to Covid-19.

But while Democrats have re-

newed their push to include ex-

panded occupational safety re-

quirements for workers, which

failed to gain traction in the most

recent legislation, and are also call-

ing for additional hazard pay for

workers on the front lines, it is un-

clear if either of those will prevail

in future negotiations.

Mr. Tomer, of Brookings, said life

insurance and targeted coro-

navirus-related health insurance

for essential workers could help.

“It’s about peace of mind for them

and their families, and a form of

compensation,” he said.

In reports from many cities,

workers have alternated between

fear at being exposed to the virus

and relief at having a job while so

many others are unemployed. Rid-

ership on the New York subway

has plummeted, but stations in

poorer areas remain crowded.

In Seattle, one of the earliest co-

ronavirus hot spots in the country,

Cassandra Fejarang, a Teamsters

union member, was laid off from

her restaurant supply position in

March but was able to find work in

a Safeway grocery distribution

center. She travels a few miles by

car to the warehouse in Auburn,

Wash.

“I’m blessed to still be able to

work,” said Ms. Fejarang, 34. She

said she has been pulling 10- and

16-hour shifts, loading frozen food,

toilet paper, bleach and other

goods onto pallets to be taken to

stores. Grocery warehouse work-

ers in her union make a good wage

— $20 to $29 an hour — and have

negotiated extra benefits during

the coronavirus crisis.

“I definitely wear gloves and try

to keep my mask on because we’re

surrounded by people all day,” she

said. “We are all washing our

hands, trying to keep our distance.

It’s hard, but I feel safe when I’m

there.”

Washington State, which had

the earliest known major outbreak

of coronavirus in the United States,

stands out from the rest of the

country because the wealthiest

people there had nearly a week’s

head start over the poorest when it

came to staying home.

With this highly transmissible

virus, even days can make a differ-

ence in limiting or igniting an out-

break, said Dr. Vasan, the Colum-

bia professor.

“It’s just moving like wildfire

through communities,” Dr. Vasan

said. “We talk about flattening the

curve, and every day people are

not staying home just makes that

harder.”

Dr. Vasan and other public

health experts cautioned that the

nature of this virus means that in-

equality in health outcomes puts

the entire population at greater

risk. Pockets of people who are un-

tested or who don’t get the appro-

priate medical treatment can

quickly become new clusters.

Ms. Benjamin, the home care

worker, said she was proud to be

essential but would feel better with

assurances that she could be taken

care of if she fell ill.

“I just really want people to un-

derstand that it’s hard right now to

go to work and live for other peo-

ple,” she said. “I want to make sure

that they know we’re all in this to-

gether. Everyone is scared, but the

world is in this together.”

Feb. 23 March 1 March 8 March 22 March 29

–100% less movement than usual

–50% less movement

than usual

+50% more movement than usual

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Averages for the

bottom 10 percent

Averages for tracts in the

top 10 percent of income

for the 25 largest metro areas

On average, the wealthiest were able to halve their

movement three days earlier than the poorest

THE NEW YORK TIMES

This article is by Jennifer
Valentino-DeVries, Denise Luand
Gabriel J.X. Dance.

Emily Cochrane contributed re-
porting.

March 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29

March 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29

THE NEW YORK TIMES

March 1 March 8 March 15 March 2 2 March 29

March 1 March 8 March 1 5 March 2 2 March 2 9

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Charlotte, N.C.CCharlotte, N.C.harlooottttteteee,NN.CC.

San AntonioSSaSaSan AntonionnAAnAtotoonioo

HoustonHHoustonoouststostonn

San DiegoSSaSSan DiegoanDiegeegogoo

Dallas-Fort WorthDallas-Fort WorthDDalllaass-FoFoort rtWoWoortrthh

SeattleSSSeattleeateaaattttlee

PhoenixPPPhoenixhoeeniixx

MiamiMMiamiiammi

AtlantaAAtAtAtlantalaannttaaa

ChicagoCChicagohhicacaaaggooo

St. LouisStStSt. Louis..LoLoouiss

WashingtonWWaWaWashingtonasahiingtgtogtonn

Tampa, Fla.TaTaTampa, Fla.mpppa,Flaa.

Orlando, Fla.OOOrlando, Fla.rlaanddo,Flaa.

Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.RRiveveersrsiidee-SaSan Bernaardrdiinoo,CaCaCClif.ff.

DenverDDeDeDenvernnnvveveer

BaltimoreBBBaltimorealttimmorereee

Los AngelesLosLoLos AngelesossAAAngegeeleseese

Portland, Ore.PoPoPortland, Ore.ortrtlland,OOreree.

Minneapolis-St. PaulMinneapolis-St. PaulMMinnneaeaeppoliss-StStS.PaPaPuul

PhiladelphiaPPPhiladelphiahiiladdelpphiaa

BostonBBBostonostossstotonn

DetroitDDetDDetroitettroroiit

New YorkNNNew YorkewewwwYYoYorkk

San FranciscoSaSSan FranciscoanFFrFrraanncissccoo

Median date for

top 10 percent of

tracts in metro area

Median date for

bottom 10 percent

Individual

tracts

When groups started to decrease their movement by half

–100%

–50% less movement

+25% more movement

March 30

Feb. 15

Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn.

–100%

–50%

Washington

–100%

–50%

San Francisco San Jose, Calif.

Deltona-Daytona Beach-
Ormond Beach, Fla.

–100%

–50%

Little Rock, Ark.

–100%

–50%

El Paso

–100%

–50%

Chattanooga, Tenn.

Change in movement in some metro areas with high income disparity

Change in movement in some metro areas with low income disparity

–100%

–50%

–50% less movement

+25% more movement

March 30

Feb. 15

–100%

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Top 10 percent

halted movement

Bottom

10 percent

resumed

movement

Top 10 percent

also resumed

movement

Bottom

10 percent

resumed

movement

THE CLASS DIVIDE

Data From Cellphones Shows

Staying at Home Is a Luxury

As the virus spreads, ‘it’s going right to the fissures in

our society,’ a Columbia public health professor says.

SPREAD OF VIRUS

W.H.O. Raises Alarm

In the Middle East

The World Health Organization

has sounded the alarm about a

spike in coronavirus cases across

the Middle East and called on

governments and citizens to do

more to stop its spread.

In a statement released on

Thursday, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mand-

hari, the W.H.O.’s regional director

for the eastern Mediterranean,

said the number of cases of

Covid-19, the disease caused by

the coronavirus, had risen to

more than 58,000 from more than

32,000, in the week ending on

April 2.

He urged countries to “be more

aggressive” in testing suspected

cases, tracing how the infection

may have spread, isolating con-

firmed cases and protecting

health workers, while insisting

that citizens stay home and prac-

tice rigorous hygiene.

Public health experts are par-

ticularly worried about the threat

the coronavirus poses to the

refugees, many of whom live in

crowded and unsanitary condi-

tions where infection could spread

easily.

66 PEOPLE INFECTED

Outbreak Ravages

Texas Nursing Home

A coronavirus outbreak at a San

Antonio nursing home has in-

fected 66 of the facility’s 84 resi-

dents and killed an additional

resident, the largest spread of the

virus at a Texas long-term care

facility, city and county officials

said on Friday.

The outbreak at the Southeast

Nursing and Rehabilitation Cen-

ter was described by local officials

as “contained,” but they were

scrambling on Friday to perform

additional tests and to track down

all of the facility’s 60 employees.

Eight of the staff members have

tested positive for the virus, and

tracking its spread has been

complicated by the fact that nu-

merous employees also worked at

other nursing homes in the San

Antonio region.

“In case anyone in San Antonio

needed a wake-up call about the

seriousness of Covid-19 to our

community, this is it,” Mayor Ron

Nirenberg said on Friday.

Of the facility’s 84 residents, 11

have had their tests come back

negative; those residents were

being kept in a separate part of

the building, and employees

treating them were not providing

services to those who are in-

fected. Six residents’ tests were

still pending or were inconclusive,

officials said.

The eight employees who

tested positive are in self-isolation

away from the nursing home.

Officials were attempting to test

the other 52 employees — seven

were tested on Thursday, 17 were

scheduled to be tested on Friday

and medical personnel were

trying to contact the others.

MEXICO

Grupo Modelo Is Haltling

Production of Corona Beer

Corona beer has become a tempo-

rary victim of the coronavirus.

Grupo Modelo, the brewer

behind Corona, Modelo and other

beers, said in a statement on

Thursday that it was suspending

its beer production after the Mexi-

can government ordered non-

essential businesses to close in an

attempt to stop the spread of the

coronavirus.

The brewer, which is part of

Anheuser-Busch InBev, said that

should the federal government

decide later that its product was

essential, “at Grupo Modelo we

are ready to execute a plan with

more than 75 percent of our staff

working from home and at the

same time guaranteeing the

supply of beer.”

Grupo Modelo’s Corona beer

drew attention about a month ago

after consumers mistakenly asso-

ciated it with the fast-spreading

virus, which by that point had

already begun its global march.

However, Constellation Brands,

which handles Grupo Modelo’s

beer in the United States, said

that the virus had not affected

sales, according to CNN.

The suspension, which Grupo

Modelo said would take effect on

Sunday, was announced just days

after the Mexican government,

which has been slow to respond to

the pandemic, declared a health

emergency and stiffened rules

aimed at slowing the virus.

Around

The World

Tracking an OutbreakQuarantines

Cuebiq calculated distance traveled

by measuring a line between oppo-

site corners of a box drawn around

the locations observed for each per-

son on each day. The travel for each

census tract is the median of these

per-person distances. The Times cal-

culated the percent change in move-

ment by comparing the movement

for the day of the week with the aver-

age for the same days of the week in

January and February, with the ex-

ception of holidays. The top 10 per-

cent and bottom 10 percent of house-

hold incomes for each metropolitan

area are based on median household

income data from the U.S. Census

Bureau, 2013-2017 American Com-

munity Survey five-year estimates

for census tracts.

Methodology

‘I just really want people to

understand that it’s hard

right now to go to work and

live for other people.’

ADARRA BENJAMIN, a health
worker in Chicago.

JOSHUA LOTT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES