Editorial: The new normal
On March 17, 2020, the Bay Area shut down as the coronavirus unleashed its force. San Francisco was a virtual ghost town, as was every other city in the region.
Essential workers boarded empty BART trains or were able to drive at the speed limit across the normally congested bridges. People were scared and stayed inside their homes.
Or they were sick in hospitals. Doctors didn't know much about COVID-19 and early recommendations from federal health officials that there was no need to wear masks proved very wrong.
On the streets, life became even harder for those who were unhoused. It seemed like something out of a movie. Except it wasn't, and just two years later we are still adjusting to the changes and effects of the virus.At the time, public health officials and political leaders instituted the shelter-in-place order to help "flatten the curve" to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.
