Downtown Santa Cruz has been nearly inaccessible to pedestrian traffic and difficult to enjoy in the month of March of this year, 2020. Visits to public institutions downtown as well as along the wharf were closed and the air felt stifled due to notices that were posted once foot traffic may or may not have arrived. I took a few pictures early in case the situation developed any interest and continued to avoid hassles and complicated disagreements over norms. Common place items that have been difficult to buy are returning, though expensive, and a feeling of relief is by and large understood.
The identity of the virus seems to be understated and I am just now catching up. The notices stuck and pasted to windows diagnosed a problem that did not have a face, which felt jarring, until just recently. Material which can be found on the CDC’s website, free of charge, provides helpful insight into what is the coronavirus. According to the source: CDC, at cdc.gov, “COVID-19 is a new disease, caused be a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans.” [i][ii]
Having a face to the virus is an easier topic to study and I will continue to look into what is the coronavirus. The amount of change implies unease though I am not worrisome; It is my natural inclination to avoid mistruth and searching for an answer comes with distrust for extremes, as well as opinion, while moving forward, which is done with a guarded tone of voice.
[i] Source: CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html, April 10, 2020
[ii] (disclaimer: all use of CDC material does not imply endorsement by CDC or the United States Government and is strictly the author’s point of view. The author assumes full responsibility for the content herein).