Although there’s really no “good” time for a pandemic to break out, the timing of the spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout the world has likely introduced more stresses than it otherwise would at other times of year.
For one thing, parents who were already gearing up for March Break have now found themselves wondering what they’ll do now that their kids will likely remain home for weeks longer. For another, the time in which quarantine and social distancing efforts have begun in earnest has coincided with St. Patrick’s Day festivities this year.
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In and of itself, that doesn’t sound like a big deal. But the problem is that efforts to “flattern the curve” only work as far as people are willing to participate in them.
And what we’re about to see suggests that convincing people to let this year’s festivities pass them by may not be so easy.
For many young and healthy people, social distancing has less to do with minimizing one’s own risk than ensuring that coronavirus does not spread to those at a heightened risk of dying from it.
As the BBC reported , the average age of those who have died from the illness is 81, but those with compromised immune systems or other serious health conditions also face more serious risks from COVID-19.
And as supported by data coming in from South Korea, young adults have an important role in ensuring this spread occurs as slowly as possible.
While this age group is largely in a robust position to weather the effects of the virus, how well they’re able to practice social distancing could determine the extent of coronavirus’ spread.
It’s for this reason that the long lines at bars that mark the weekend leading up to St. Patrick’s Day are a cause for concern this year.
On Saturday, Twitter users reported seeing heavy crowds lining up in front of bars throughout the nation.
Since the greatest risk factors for contracting the disease involve close contact with infected people, that risk becomes significantly higher the more people crowd together like this.
But while some patrons of The Broadway in Boston, Massachussets may not be taking this threat seriously, the bar’s staff are.
An hour before the bar opened on Sunday, we could already see a line forming outside of it with as much green regalia as the previous day.
The difference, however, is that the bar itself remained closed that day following a request from city officials.
And the more we see these crowds form, the easier it is to see why bar closures are becoming more common.
This was particularly concerning at smaller bars, where the crowd density makes it impossible to confidently maintain a safe distance from those who infected with coronavirus.
After all, people have already transferred it without showing any real symptoms themselves.
The character of the responses to these lines when they’ve reached Twitter have been similar among those taking the virus seriously.
A general anxiety about how risky this behavior is has largely given way to frustration with those involved, as there’s no telling who in their lives could face serious effects after they get back from these crowded pub crawls.
Also concerning is the fact that entire bar districts faced similar crowds on Saturday.
So any tension that you may feel upon looking at these crowded places is likely to deepen when you realize that there are several more in the area that look just like this.
While it’s unclear whether this activity prompted the latest actions taken by local and state governments, it clearly illustrates why those measures make sense.
The governments of New Jersey , Connecticut, New York, Washington state and Michigan have ordered the closure of bars, restaurants, and movie theaters across their respective state today.
The mayor of Los Angeles has made the same decision , which also added gyms to the list.
And as we can see here, this evasion of social distancing practives isn’t just limited to the United States.
According to The Irish Times , this scene from Dublin’s Temple Bar had at least some influence on the Irish government’s recommendation on Sunday to close all pubs until at least the end of the month.
Even for those that remain open, the threat of COVID-19 remains a key concern.
This bar, for instance, has added some “social distancing lines” that measure six feet long and are supposed to encourage a safe distance based on how far the virus can travel between individuals.
Of course, bars weren’t the only issue when it came to the St. Patrick’s Day crowd.
As we can see, there’s nothing necessarily stopping those who refuse to self-isolate from holding private parties that could carry the same risks as pub gatherings.
And so, the tweets cautioning against this sort of behavior are likely to remain as passionate as ever.
Hopefully, their messages can get across before the worst case scenario for this virus’ capabilities are accelerated.
