Escaping New York Before It Became the COVID-19 Epicenter

Jaime Chew’s video diary Escaping New York Before It Became the COVID-19 Epicenter chronicles the stories of three New Yorkers who fled the city just before it became the pandemic’s epicenter in March 2020. As COVID-19 cases surged in New York City, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) became overwhelmed and fears about the virus’s transmissibility heightened, three women—Alexa, Alyssa, and Samantha—describe their experiences and the motivations behind their difficult decisions to leave.

Alexa, who is immunocompromised, relocated to North Dakota on 18 March 2020 to stay closer to her “medical team” (01:32). Alyssa returned to her family home in St. Louis, Missouri, on 17 March, concerned about the safety of her community housing in New York.

Samantha, believing Singapore’s infrastructure was better equipped to handle the pandemic, flew there on 19 March. The decision to leave New York was difficult and not without consequences—Samantha grapples with complications related to her working visa, while Alexa struggles with returning to a place associated with past trauma, compounded by isolation from her support system and concern for her elderly grandmother’s safety. As a form of life writing, the video diary documents both personal and logistical challenges during a time of upheaval. Shots of airports and moving boxes are interspersed with tired faces. Despite their exhaustion and fear, the women express relief upon leaving New York. These narratives illustrate how, in a moment of extreme uncertainty, individuals relied on intuition and personal histories to make critical decisions—often in defiance of official advice.