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Golden State residents are coping with a dull new reality after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide lockdown Friday in an effort to contain the coronavirus.
Surreal photos circulating Saturday show a California starkly different from what it was just days ago — void of the notoriously clogged highways, bustling beach boardwalks and celebrity sightings.
Hollywood’s Sunset Strip was photographed drenched in darkness without a soul in sight, while a lone commuter was snapped waiting for a train in an empty, cavernous Hollywood Metro station.
California was the first to close all non-essential businesses on Friday, with New York and Illinois quickly following suit.
The US outbreak originated on the West Coast in January, and California has thus far been one of the most-affected states, with nearly 1,200 cases and 23 deaths as of Saturday morning.
Amid the stillness, some staples remained.
Surfers were spotted riding the waves at Huntington Beach Friday, while street sweepers cleaned the LA roadways and people lined up outside grocery stores.
Workers were already lamenting the economic impact.
“Everyone is terrified to come out,” Huntington Beach surf instructor Jason Murchison told The Associated Press. “Surfing is one of those sports where if you want to talk about social distancing and all that, it’s the ideal sport to do that.”
A lone commuter waits on the platform of the Metro Hollywood/Highland Station in Hollywood. https://t.co/4KcjJJtd7cpic.twitter.com/juTfwlIArj
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) March 20, 2020
Some restaurants have already seen businesses drop by 95%, said California Restaurant Association President Jot Condie.
“It’s thinning out by the day,” he said. “Hundreds and hundreds of employees are being laid off by the hour.”
Infection rates, meanwhile, are doubling every four days, Newsom said, predicting that without drastic measures, 56% of the state’s population could contract the virus.
He ordered residents to stay inside except for groceries, fresh air and essential errands.
With Post wires
