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March 19, 2020: SF Obeys the Lockdown
Exaggerated reports, and the reality: empty streets
Today is the third day of the COVID-19 lockdown in the San Francisco Bay Area. People are only allowed out for essential activities, like going to the supermarket, the doctor, or briefly exercising (still allowing six feet for social distancing).
So far, people seem to be largely obeying the order. There was a segment on CNN that went viral showing people apparently going about their business in a carefree way in San Francisco parks. The CNN anchors got angry and critical about San Francisco’s “failed" lockdown.
As one of the millions of people obeying the order, I can tell you how offensive and inappropriate blanket statements like that are.
Are there a few bad apples who are going about daily life? Probably. But the vast majority of the Bay Area’s citizens are making sacrifices to protect the health of the community and the world. Let’s talk about them, not the tiny sliver of the population that remains in denial. And remember, all this is happening as most US cities (foolishly, I believe) remain out of lockdown, with residents free to go about their business.
Today, the vast majority of public spaces were empty.
