An empty thoroughfare in Vienna, Austria.
The novelty of shelter-in-place has worn off and most of the world is settling into this situation as a long-term reality. On March 16, I received an emergency alert on my phone saying that six counties in the Bay Area were enacting a shelter-in-place order.
The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is framed by her strength in adversity. The latter chapters in her life have turned her into a pop culture icon and a symbol of certain political movements, especially gender equality.
A Sika Deer in Nara, Japan.
In the opening scene of I Am Legend, Will Smith’s character speeds through New York in a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, but he’s in a New York not reminiscent of present-day. The streets are void of crowds, the roads are covered in vegetation, the sounds of traffic are muted, and a city known for never sleeping is very - still.
I have been seeing appreciation posts on social media for people that are continuing to work during the pandemic and for what they are doing to keep life as normal as possible for those in self-quarantine.
People around Lake Merritt during the shelter-in-place order, 3/24/20, 9:25 a.m.
“The Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order will be extended to May 1 to curb a still-growing coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco City Hall sources said.” -John King and Heather Knight, San Francisco Chronicle
We have seen an uptick in the number of people coming to Lake Merritt in order to exercise. Exercise is deemed an essential activity during the shelter-in-place order, yet when people do it in the same area, the congestion creates a scenario that is less than ideal for containing a virus. This paradox is created by our need to get out and exercise, yet having to social distance. It’s compounded by our primitive reaction to anxiety called, fight or flight. Yes, we do run for enjoyment but when things get really bad, we run even more. There have been three noticeable spikes in the amount of distance-running in America and they were all during national crises. One of those times was during the Great Depression when marathon numbers climbed. When times get tough, we literally want to run from our problems. Hopefully, people can get exercise in a way that doesn’t create a bigger problem with spreading a novel coronavirus.