The coronavirus is changing life in California. These 20 photos show how
Hollywood Boulevard is devoid of its usual tourist crowds. Cars and foot traffic normally jam the famed street, but many shops, restaurants, theaters and attractions have temporarily closed as a safety measure against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Southland has taken extraordinary measures this week to stop dine-in restaurant eating, close gyms and movie theaters, and ban or limit gatherings to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
Most Southern California measures were not as stringent as those imposed in 10 counties in the Bay Area and Central California, which asked residents to shelter in place and stay home as much as possible in the coming weeks.
The coronavirus outbreak has killed 17 people across California, including three people in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County — all over the age of 70, with two of them having underlying health conditions — and one person in Los Angeles County, a non-California resident in her 60s with underlying health issues.
Here’s a visual look at how life has changed in the Southland.
Dallas Weaver, 79, and his wife, Janet Weaver, 75, of Huntington Beach, wear face masks as they finish a walk on the Huntington Beach pier during the coronavirus pandemic.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A man pulls his luggage bag through an empty Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Salvador Lareas, left, and Raul Arias clean chairs with disinfectant inside Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Foot traffic is way down at Union Station due to the coronavirus outbreak.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
A traveler doesn’t have to fight the crowds at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
A musician walks across an empty parking lot in Los Angeles.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Dr. Mark V. Morocco listens to a patient’s breathing through a car window at UCLA Medical Center, where people can drive up and get tested for the coronavirus.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Alake Ilegbameh says “May God continue to bless you” over and over again as he picks up food for his children from an L.A. Unified worker at Dorsey High in South Los Angeles.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Michael Ray, 11, plays with a ball before a movie at the Paramount Drive-In. Many theaters have closed amid coronavirus concerns.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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An employee of the Trader Joe’s store in Monrovia tells customers waiting in line that it will open doors to everyone at 9 a.m., not just senior citizens. Some grocery outlets were offering special morning shopping hours to accommodate older residents.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Ralph Gomez, who does outreach work with the homeless, tosses a clipboard for a signature to Davis Soto, taking care to stay at least 6 feet away in keeping with guidelines to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Don Whitaker, who runs Island Renters on Catalina, has been struggling for customers. He said on a typical day, all of his carts would be rented.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Emma Bradley, left, and her husband, Samuel Bradley, of Palmdale walk up a ramp to catch a Metrolink train at deserted Union Station in Los Angeles.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Seniors line up outside Gelson’s Market in Manhattan Beach. The store is doing a “seniors shopping hour,” during which older residents can purchase groceries before anybody else.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Surrounded by social distancing signs on seats, Orange County Undersheriff Bob Peterson listens to an official from the Orange County Health Care Agency describe to county supervisors the latest efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Dustin Chupurdy brought a chair to sit in as he waited in the early morning for the Costco in Hawthorne to open.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Signs on L.A. freeways encourage motorists to practice social distancing.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Lydia Alvisures keeps 6 feet away from others waiting in line at the Unite Here Local 11 food bank Tuesday.
(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Kevin Ezeh, wearing a face mask and gloves, speaks at a Los Angeles City council meeting that was held inside a tent erected outside City Hall amid the threats of the novel coronavirus.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A child looks at movie posters inside the lobby of the Arclight movie theater in Manhattan Beach. The movie industry is taking big losses as the coronavirus spreads, with film releases being postponed indefinitely.
