Within the hustle and bustle of New York City, Nintendo NY has closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Located on Rockefeller Plaza, the store will stay closed indefinitely as the outbreak continues to affect businesses.
On March 14, the store released a statement on its reduced hours due to safety measures. These precautions would help prevent the spread of the virus during rush hours. Unfortunately for fans, this morning, Nintendo amended those store hours by shutting down completely.
The flagship store is a hub for everything Nintendo, allowing tourists to buy all sorts of games, plushies, consoles, and more. Now, while closing its doors to customers is the last thing any business wants, Nintendo has chosen to do so. “In light of recent coronavirus (COVID-19) developments we have made the difficult decision to close Nintendo NY for the foreseeable future, effective immediately.”
#NintendoNYC pic.twitter.com/8rNuGaWRfD
— Nintendo NY (@NintendoNYC) March 17, 2020
Losing business
Before the complete shutdown of the store, Nintendo canceled all in-store events while complying with the governer’s ban on public gatherings. Fortunately, their website has everything the physical location offers in terms of items. This does mean, though, that many tourists and visitors won’t get to visit Nintendo NY’s Pokémon Center or touch the Nintendo-character statues. The store is also known for its big celebrations, such as its Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX event on March 7.
Thank you to the fans who stopped by #NintendoNYC to meet Pikachu and Eevee in celebration of  #PokemonMysteryDungeonDX! pic.twitter.com/9SUvPk8JRi
— Nintendo NY (@NintendoNYC) March 7, 2020
Currently, New York City has a total of 463 cases of COVID-19 – 134 new ones as of yesterday night. As the death toll has risen to 7, businesses have closed off to customers and crowds. Most people are staying home from work, which gives them a chance to catch up on video games while staying away from possible infection. It’s uncertain how long this will last, though a recent press conference by President Trump indicated it may go on until July or August. Daily Esports will continue covering COVID-19 developments as it relates back to esports and gaming.
