Love in the time of coronavirus.
Brooklyn-based photographer Jeremy Cohen isn’t usually smooth when it comes to talking to women, but when he spotted his cute neighbour dancing on her rooftop, he decided he had to make a move.
At a distance, of course, considering New York City is enforcing social distancing amid the COVID-19 crisis.
All hope wasn’t lost.
In video footage shared to his TikTok, Twitter and Instagram accounts, the two shared a wave and he taped his phone number to a drone and, clicking the record button for his TikTok account, flew it over to her.
“I can’t believe this actually works and yes this is a real story,” the 28-year-old wrote in a March 22 tweet, which has been viewed more than six million times.
“Flirting was normally daunting for me, but since I’ve been quarantining in my apartment for a week now, I was craving some social interaction,” Cohen said in the video. He added, “2020 has been off to a terrible start, but I still needed to shoot my shot.”
He revealed that she texted him an hour later.
In his second TikTok of the meet-cute series, Cohen and the mystery woman went on a dinner date from their respective rooftops.
He revealed he got her roommate to help him set up a romantic table for her, from which she FaceTimed him while eating.
“It’s very Gen Z,” he told Insider, adding that he’d paid for dinner via a mobile payment service. “I Venmo’ed her roommate for everything she did, because cause I wanted to treat her to dinner.”
Finally, he asked Tori Cignarella — who eventually revealed her name — on a “real” date, rolling over to her home inside a plastic bubble to take a walk side-by-side.
Cohen first spotted Cignarella when he was photographing people on their balconies for a magazine.
“It was the first time I saw someone dancing on the roof,” he told the publication. “She just kept dancing and I was just attracted to her energy.”
While he’s not sure where their relationship will go, he plans on meeting her for real once the outbreak is all over.
“If this doesn’t work out, which also is a possibility, I’m sure we will be close in some way, just because she’s so cool and chill,” he said.
“We’ve had this crazy experience together.”
As for Cignarella, who has been in isolation for over a week now, their developing romance is a light at the end of the tunnel, she told NBC New York.
“He’s definitely set the bar pretty high,” Cignarella said. “No one knows what day it is anymore, it doesn’t matter because we’re all just at home, so it’s kind of nice to look forward to something.”
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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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