When the Virus Came for the American Dream

Matthew Shaer wrote the Sunday, November 8 cover story for the New York Times Magazine about the immigrant, minority, and poor communities that have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

On April 20, 49 days after Georgia reported its first two coronavirus cases and 39 days after the announcement of the state’s first Covid-19-related death, Gov. Brian Kemp convened a news conference on the steps of the Capitol in downtown Atlanta. Speaking to an audience of masked journalists, Kemp opened his remarks by listing the most recent statistics from the Georgia Department of Public Health: 18,947 positive tests since the beginning of the pandemic and 733 deaths. “We understand that these are more than just numbers,” he said. “These are Georgians that we’re talking about.”

Still, Kemp went on, he could no longer in good conscience allow the state to remain under lockdown. “Crops are rotting,” he said. “Small-business owners are seeing sales plummet.” He announced that effective that same week, Georgia, close to last in the United States to issue a stay-at-home order, would be among the earliest states to begin lifting it. The reopening would happen in stages: Tattoo parlors and nail salons and bowling alleys could receive customers that week, while restaurants and movie theaters would have to wait until the following Monday. “By taking this measured action,” Kemp said, “we will get Georgians back to work safely without undermining the progress that we have all made in the battle against Covid-19.”