It is a period of time we will probably remember for many years: Many things we took for granted are suddenly gone. The pillars of our social life have almost all fallen away and everything that is not absolutely necessary has been removed. Even weddings.

A wedding is said to be one of the most beautiful events in the life of two people. It is planned a long time in advance and often turns into a lavish party. Not in this case: A gay couple from New York City was one of the last to be married. Just before the city imposed the curfew. They celebrated in their apartment and instead of cans added to the car there was a cardboard sign on the fire escape.

Fear for medical care

Mitch and Brian got engaged last summer, but their wedding was not to take place for several months. So they thought. But in the last few weeks, more and more Covid-19 cases have been reportet in New York City, offices have been closed, the streets empty. Mitch and Brian decided they were gonna get married. Now.

Mitch and Brian acted not only out of love, but also out of common sense: Mitch, who works in a non-profit organisation with a focus on art and culture, feared for his job and therefore his health insurance after the outbreak of the disease. And in the days of Covid-19, no one in the US really wants to fear for their health because of the fragile health system.

So last Thursday Mitch and Brian left the isolation of their apartment to go to City Hall to apply for their wedding license. There they were told that a wedding would only be possible if they knew someone who was authorised to perform the wedding ceremony and sign the license. Lucky for them, Brian knew someone, a colleague.

The two hurried back home, a short time later Brian’s colleague and two witnesses arrived. They performed the ceremony in the apartment. Mitch and Brian quietly celebrated their wedding with a sign on the fire escape. It says, “Just married (still quarantined)”.

They then announced their marriage on social networks and promised their cheering friends and followers: “As soon as the quarantine period is over, there will be a glittering party after all.” The marriage with Brian saved Mitch – now they are both insured through Brian’s employer.

Last Friday, one day after the wedding, the city hall announced that the office for wedding registrations would be closed until further notice. A curfew was imposed in New York earlier this week. Brian and Mitch have taken their last chance.

In Germany it is still possible to get married in some registry offices. In Frankfurt on the Main, e.g. – but in an unromantic accelerated procedure. A special room has been set up or this purpose, in which the bridal couple and registrar are separated from each other by a glass pane. The wedding ceremony takes only three minutes and is purely bureaucratic. The only prerequisite to have this procedure: You must have made an appointment earlier, new appointments will not be made until further notice.

Situation in New York gets worse

The metropolis of New York City is developing into the hot spot of the pandemic. If the Chinese government’s figures are correct, the US has had 85,800 Covid-19 cases since last night, more than China and Italy. There are at least 1195 people in the states affected by the disease – 13 people died in one day alone at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York.

More than half of those infected in the US are in New York. A nurse from Long Island told CNN that she and her colleagues were already on the verge of collapse. More and more people with respiratory problems, fever and fear of death are coming to the emergency rooms. And the hospital staff is certain: it will get much worse.

The queer community has also already suffered Covid-19 victims from New York, including drag queen Mona Foot, who was found dead earlier this week. Meanwhile, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, designer Tarek Soliman is fighting the disease.

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