- The coronavirus pandemic has made some of the US’s most bustling cities eerily quiet.
- As cities like New York City and Los Angeles adopt increasingly drastic measures to combat the spread of the virus, normally packed streets and highways are practically deserted.
- San Francisco’s streets have emptied out after the city imposed a “shelter in place” order that brought city life to a halt.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
As the number of coronavirus cases in the US continues to rise, state and local officials are implementing extreme measures to slow the pandemic’s spread – quieting some of the country’s busiest cities and tourist spots.
Just in the last few days, New York City closed its public school system that serves more than a million students, and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker closed down the state’s restaurants and limited public gatherings to 25 people.
On Monday, six counties in the Bay Area of California issued a “shelter in place” order, which effectively brings all nonessential business to a halt and severely restricts what residents can do and where they can go.
As an increasing number of people are forced to work remotely and stay home in general, typically jam-packed roadways in some of the country’s most crowded cities have become all but deserted.
Rush hour looked quite a bit emptier than usual on Boston's I-93 this week.
And the city's financial district is quiet as well. All Boston schools are closed, and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker limited public gatherings to 25 people or fewer as of March 17.
Source: City of Boston
Often-crowded streets in Columbus, Ohio, have plenty of space to roam — as shown by North High Street, which is usually full of nightlife.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that all restaurants and bars in the state would close beginning March 15.
Read more: Business Insider
Highways in San Diego are quieter than usual, too, as the county limited restaurants to take-out only and banned gatherings of 50 people or more.
Source: Times of San Diego
San Francisco's streets are pretty much devoid of pedestrians and cars, as employees at tech companies and elsewhere hunker down to avoid spreading the virus.
Read more: Business Insider
A new "shelter in place" order went into effect in San Francisco on Monday, requiring residents to stay home except for essential activities like buying groceries or medicine.
Read more: Business Insider
Rush-hour traffic was noticeably lighter on Seattle's Interstate 5 on Monday morning.
And Seattle's downtown was eerily quiet as well. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee shut restaurants and bars statewide, and ordered the closure of schools in the Seattle area.
Source: Business Insider, The New York Times
Washington, D.C., was a ghost town on Monday.
And Pennsylvania Avenue was no exception. On March 16, Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the closing of all clubs, bars, and restaurants in the nation's capital.
Source: CNN
On Sunday, there were barely any cars on the 110 Freeway in Los Angeles — a city infamous for its bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The city's bars, nightclubs, concert venues, and theaters are all closed. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that all of the state's gyms and movie theaters should close, while restaurants should only serve take-out.
Read more: Business Insider, The Los Angeles Times
There wasn't a car in sight on Washington Street in Hoboken, New Jersey on Monday night, after the city's mayor ordered all bars and restaurants to convert to take-out and delivery only on March 15.
Not to mention, a citywide curfew went into effect on Monday, keeping people inside of their homes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until further notice.
Read more: Business Insider
On March 15, New York City halted all dining out, along with shuttering movie theaters, music venues, and public schools.
Read more: Business Insider
Typically bustling with shoppers, the city's Fifth Avenue is practically empty due to the pandemic.
And perhaps most eerie of all, hardly any tourists or cars can be found in New York's Times Square, which is usually jam packed.
