Photos that will define the era of social distancing

Chances are you’ve been glued to the news lately, or at least checking it a few times a day. If that’s the case, you’re being inundated with words, reports and statistics, which can be terrifying and downright exhausting. Well, it’s like the old saying: A picture is worth a thousand words. Here are some photos from all around the world that really encapsulate the strange, isolating time we’re all living through.

On March 31, 2020, caution tape blocks off this closed Hollywood, Florida beach. This visitor from Minnesota has set up her beach chair on the beach’s walkway, just outside the tape.

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This photo was taken after the White House’s daily coronavirus briefing on March 30. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, exchanges an “elbow bump” with Jim Acosta of CNN. What started as a somewhat facetious way to avoid shaking hands evolved into a legitimate safety-conscious greeting.

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In Madrid, Spain, a man confined to his home applauds for healthcare workers as the colours of the Spanish flag hang from his and nearby balconies.

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The usually bustling National Mall in front of the Washington Monument is deserted except for a single jogger on the morning of March 31.

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Paris’ Eiffel Tower, the icon of France, displays the words “AT HOME” for the more than two million Parisians. Throughout this period of distancing, the lights of the tower have shown this message as well as one thanking essential workers.

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A member of the US National Guard maintains social distance as he informs people when to expect results of their COVID-19 tests. The testing centre where this photo was taken, at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York, can test as many as 500 people a day.

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In Canberra, Australia on March 23, Parliament resumes with Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the despatch box. Restrictions on the numbers of people in attendance are in place so that social distancing can be observed.

Another normally bustling place is downright ghostly in this April 1 photo of the Central Business District in Singapore, deserted except for a single man with a mask.

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New York’s Grand Central Station, a place that usually epitomises bustle and business, is nearly deserted on March 22.

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After Hong Kong initially seemed to be keeping the COVID-19 spread relatively contained, it experienced another surge of cases after starting to return to normalcy. Now, gatherings in the city are advised to be limited to four or fewer people, with some exceptions. In one such instance on March 29, a wedding party poses for photos – with all but the bride and groom wearing protective masks.

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One of the things that really drove home the severity of the COVID-19 crisis for many people was the closure of Disney parks around the world. Here, an overhead shot taken on March 23 shows an eerily empty Main Street in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida.

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A staffer at a US primary school, wearing a protective mask, hands laptops through the window of a car so that students can participate in distance learning at home.

In New Delhi, India, mask-clad law enforcement officers share hand sanitiser while out enforcing a city-wide lockdown on March 23. A day later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a national lockdown.

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Another taken-for-granted event that the world went without this year is Opening Day for baseball. Citi Field in Flushing, New York, home of the New York Mets, looms above a completely empty parking lot on the cancelled Opening Day on March 26.

Another normally popular tourist attraction, London’s Buckingham Palace, is devoid of visitors except for this lone passerby on April 1. Even the British royals have not been exempt from COVID-19; Queen Elizabeth II has been in quarantine since March 19 and Prince Charles has even tested positive, as has the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

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Also in the United Kingdom, a sign above a Glasgow, Scotland, highway advises travellers to avoid all but essential travel to help flatten the COVID-19 curve.

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In Aylesford, England, a former member of the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards brings meals to an elderly woman in her home. He’s one of many volunteers helping out vulnerable people, and a local pub has been cooking fresh meals for the volunteers to deliver.

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Source: RD.com