“It is too soon. We are not against business. We are not against capitalism, but we are absolutely for responsible, humane, humane, opening of this and consideration,” Kelly Lynn Thorsdottir, a protester, told NBC5 News in northern New York.
“I don’t want to see people go broke. I don’t want to see people lose their businesses, but people are going to lose their lives. What’s more important?” Thorsdottir said.
The protestors stood beside a vehicle by the side of a road with signs posted on it that read, “lets open and spread so more are dead,” “anywhere but here, " “turn around, take the virus back down,” and “you’re welcome…to go home!” Thorsdottir told NBC5 News their purpose for protesting is to discourage tourists from entering the village, as that may result in spreading the virus to people who are vulnerable.
“We are not stopping. We intend to be out here every weekend and we are encouraging others to get out whenever, wherever they can,” Thorsdottir said.
Sarah Galvin, a bookstore owner in Lake Placid, part of the “North Country” in New York that hit the state’s benchmarks for reopening on May 14, told NBC5 that the weekend brought a lot of new people in the village with an estimated population of 2,357, according to United States Census data, but that she implemented measures so as to keep those visiting her store safe.
“This weekend it definitely was a lot of new people into the area and that has us all – I think everyone [is] scared at the moment. That’s why we have new protocols in place to make it as safe for everybody,” Galvin said. The measures include curbside pickup, a strict mask-wearing policy, and the availability of hand sanitizer.
“I think if we do it in a responsible, managed way, yeah we’ve got to keep going…It’s one foot in front of the other. That’s the only way we got through the past couple of months. That’s the only way we’re going to get any progress in the future. We’ve got to be smart, and responsible, listen to the data that’s out there and make the best decisions,” Galvin told NBC5.
Craig H. Randall, the mayor of Lake Placid, told Newsweek in an email that based on what he observed, local businesses were following New York’s phase one guidelines during Memorial Day weekend.
“Memorial Day weekend is a traditional time for summer visitor travel to increase. Like other resort destinations, Lake Placid experienced an increase in visitor traffic, mostly in the village to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking. While busy, traffic was still less than what typically would have been in the village prior to coronavirus pandemic,” the mayor said.
“Lake Placid and the Adirondack region is committed to the guidelines set forth by New York State for re-opening business. We are requesting everyone to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks when inside businesses and in populated locations where social distancing cannot be maintained,” he added.
Essex County, where Lake Placid is located, has reported 36 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and no deaths thus far, according to New York’s coronavirus tracking website.
Update (5/26/20 4:50 p.m.): Updated to include comments from the mayor of Lake Placid.
