As the coronavirus crisis takes hold, grocery-store workers in New York City carry and defray the city's tension—they have become the new first-responders. Here are some of their stories.
Last week, photographer Sinna Nasseri was at Grace’s Marketplace, an upscale local market on New York’s Upper East Side. Behind the counter, 62-year-old Vilma Valdivieso exchanged her cellophane gloves for a fresh pair, as she did between each customer, to avoid the possibility of cross-contamination. But the next woman who reached the front of the line immediately asked, “Are your hands clean?”
“My mom is very weak and diabetic. I like hugging her and all that…but I try not to be that lovable with her [right now]. I say ‘I love you,’ but I could have some of the bacteria on my clothing, so, just in case, I haven’t been hugging as much.”Photographed by Sinna NasseriPhotographed by Sinna NasseriNow among the city’s most crucial personnel, grocery workers are nevertheless exposed to new dangers.
“I have to show affection to my daughter. That’s just me. It’s hard when I’m hugging her and I’m thinking…maybe I shouldn’t do that. I’m doubting myself to show my daughter affection. I’m here exposing myself on a daily basis. It’s scary, but it’s reality.”Kathleen Ernsting, 28, works at the Union Square Greenmarket. Kathleen is a farmer at Alewife Farm in Kingston, New York.
“I wash my hands, every customer that comes in... I’ve always been a hygienic person, so I don’t really feel worried. I know a lot of people who lost their jobs, so I’m kinda grateful to still be working.”Shukla Biswas, 28, from the Bronx, is a cashier at the Health Nuts in Midtown East. “I’m worried for my grandmother, but I haven’t changed my behavior. I’m a little more cautious of what I do, but [my grandma and I still hug].”Gabriela Maldonado, 30, commutes from Staten Island to Westside Market in the East Village.
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