Well to be fair there were a lot of NYers out and about:
Jan. 14: The WHO announces, “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan, China.” Meanwhile, according to The Associated Press, internal Chinese documents show that government officials acknowledged likely human-to-human transmission of coronavirus, and said they were following orders from the president of China to keep it under wraps.
January 17: The CDC began implementing public health entry screening at the 3 U.S. airports that received the most travelers from Wuhan – San Francisco, New York JFK, and Los Angeles.
Feb. 9: Mark Levine, the chair of New York City Council health committee , tweets: "In powerful show of defiance of
#coronavirus scare, huge crowds gathering in NYC's Chinatown for ceremony ahead of annual
#LunarNewYear parade. Chants of 'be strong Wuhan!' If you are staying away, you are missing out!"
Feb. 13: "There are ZERO confirmed cases of coronavirus in New York City, and hundreds of Chinese restaurants that need your business!" the New York City mayor's office tweets. "There is nothing to fear. Stop by any Chinatown for lunch or dinner!"