The note cards sticking out of bouquets from a Chicago florist all carry the same message: “Looking forward to celebrating in person.”
“The notes aren’t sad,” said Kate Prince, co-owner of Flora Chicago on the north side of town. “They are hopeful.”
On this Valentine’s Day, Americans are looking for ways to celebrate love in the midst of so much heartbreak and isolation as the coronavirus pandemic continues past its anniversary. Some are clinging to the hope, given the most vulnerable and front-line workers being vaccinated, in easing restrictions on restaurants in the hardest-hit places, in case the numbers begin to decline. But the death toll is still rising to half a million deaths in the United States, and many remain shuttered in their homes.
Prince said florists do their best to keep up with the flow of orders from people trying to send their love from a safe distance.
“We are crushed,” she said.
Phones are ringing off the hook in restaurants in cities that have eased indoor dining restrictions just in time for Valentine’s Day, one of the busiest days of the year for many eateries devastated by shutdowns meant to slow the spread of the virus .
In Chicago this week, the mayor relaxed restrictions on indoor dining. After limiting restaurants to 25% capacity and 25 people per room, restaurants now have to stay at 25%, but they can serve 50 per room.
Restaurant Darling is fully booked for this weekend and has been there for weeks.
Sophie Huterstein, the restaurant’s owner, said COVID-19 has allowed the 2-year-old eatery to do the impossible: make people happy to agree to a 4pm reservation.
“People are very flexible,” she said.
They are also willing to do something different this Valentine’s Day on a weekend where the high temperature will reach the teens and the low temperature will drop well below zero.
“We have 14 greenhouses and people come out in full ski gear,” she said.
In New York City, the America Bar restaurant in West Village is also fully booked for Valentine’s Day with a long waiting list and high demand for the new 25% capacity allowance for indoor tables, said David Rabin, a partner in the eatery. More seating, along with the governor’s decision to shift closing times from 10pm to 11pm, has allowed him to give more shifts to his employees.
“For us it is a welcome gift,” he said. “It was amazing.”
T Bar NYC Steak and Lounge on the Upper East Side is also fully booked. Owner Tony Fortuna says some of his customers won’t dine indoors and he understands, but for those who have pushed to dine in the restaurant again, 25% is a good start. It gives people a glimpse of normalcy in a heartbreaking moment.
“It motivates everyone, we see a little hope,” he said. “It’s all about perception: you see people going out and moving, it makes everyone feel in a different mood.”
In Portland, a couple who have been married for 55 years have special Valentine’s Day plans.
Gil and Mercy Galicia have left their home barely a year since the lockdowns started, their daughter Cris Charbonneau said. They had seen their close-knit family, three children and six grandchildren, scattered across the country.
Like many seniors, the year has been especially difficult for them. They emigrated from the Philippines in the 1960s and have lived in their home on a half acre lot for over 40 years.
Mercy, 80, is a cancer survivor and has been diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease. Gil, 88, took daily walks at the mall to stay active, but he hasn’t done that in a year. He is concerned that isolation has pushed them back, and he doesn’t know how much longer they can stand on their own two feet.
“We are losing years, COVID has stolen this time that is so precious,” said Charbonneau.
They don’t have a computer. When the vaccine became available, Gil called everywhere and couldn’t get through. Charbonneau had a video call with them on Thursday and saw a tweet from a local news channel that the grocery store near their home had made online arrangements.
She was in a hurry to get two appointments. She didn’t pay attention to the date. She said she booked them for Sunday February 14th.
“That’s Valentine’s Day!” her father exclaimed and smiled at his wife.
“What a great way to celebrate my love for you.”
They hung up. Their daughter was crying.
“That’s what we needed,” she said, “some hope.”
Babwin reported from Chicago and Galofaro from Louisville, Kentucky. Associated Press journalists Tom Hays and Julie Walker contributed from New York City.