But even apart from that, there isn’t the same sense of camaraderie we felt in September 2001, the idea that this was a national crisis that we’d get through together. When we look at the coronavirus map, we’re not looking at national numbers so much as those from our little corner in it. And we’re not supposed to travel to other states. As I teach at a public university, I’m a state employee and am forbidden by my governor to visit another state.

The pandemic is hitting New York more than any other state. We’re naturally sympathetic, but we’re also erecting keep out barriers. Florida governor Ron DeSantis ordered a checkpoint on I-95 to require travelers from New York, Louisiana, Connecticut and New Jersey to self-isolate for two weeks. Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo has ordered state police to direct all out-of-state vehicles to a checkpoint where visitors will be asked to quarantine for 14 days.