New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has canceled all nonessential gatherings in June, including NYC Pride and Puerto Rican Day parades. The news is just another in a long line of major cancellations across the globe because, well, you guessed it, the coronavirus.

The coronavirus has forced NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to cancel all nonessential gatherings in June.

The Puerto Rico Day parade is one of the most important and celebrated events to happen in New York City. It is a time when Puerto Rican New Yorkers take to the streets and revel in their cultural pride as Americans.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez, a Puerto Rican woman representing New York’s 7th Congressional district tweeted her own disappointment about the cancellation. However, the representative reminded her constituents who might be upset that it is all necessary for the greater good.

Mayor de Blasio acknowledged that he was not sure when major cultural events would go back to normal.

Tbh, a ticker tape parade for all of the women and men serving in the frontlines of this virus seems like a must. The healthcare workers are not only putting themselves at risk to save us but their families are also sacrificing their time with them and, potentially, their own health.

While some residents agree, many would like to see the first responders paid more for the work they do.

According to Glassdoor, Salaray.com, and Indeed, the average pay for an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is around $32,000 a year. For reference, ZipRecruiter ranks New York state as the highest salary for EMT workers making $15.32 an hour. California is ranked 17th with EMTs making $13.74 an hour.

While the loss of these events might be saddening, New Yorkers seem ready to sacrifice to fight the coronavirus.

Health experts have warned Americans to prepare for longer safe-at-home orders as the virus continues to spread. There is talk about opening some states sooner than others and some experts have warned that opening too early could lead to more spikes and deaths as well as a harder economic time ahead.

We all just need to hold on until the end so we can get this virus in check and we can return to the outside world.

We’ve made it this far, we can go all of the way. Just hold on tight and know that we are all in this together.

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