As cities go under lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 by keeping people in their homes, landscapes that normally bustle with activity stand eerily still.
There are no steady streams of traffic in front of major landmarks. No rush hour. No queues for coffee. No packed subway platforms. Restaurants and bars are shuttered. Pigeons and seagulls have free rein over our plazas. And neon billboards blink onto deserted streets. But above the empty public spaces are signs that life goes on in our homes. People gather on balconies and porches to sing, cheer and bang on pots and pans in nightly tributes to frontline heroes. Communities have come together to protect the elderly and vulnerable. And banners hang from windows to remind people that "everything will be alright".
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is now a global pandemic. Find out what this means for travelers.
