Here is a selection of images of locations across the world showing scenes before and after the “lockdown”.
1. Before: Kaaba, the holiest shrine in Islam, in the Grand Mosque of Mecca in August 2018: 2. After: Kaaba on March 6:
2. Before: St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City during the weekly Angelus prayer on January 19. After: Today, St. Peter’s Square:
3. Before: The Sensoji Temple in Tokyo filled with visitors last April. After: The temple, almost empty, a few days ago:
4. Before: Piazza San Marco in Venice, full of tourists last June. After: Piazza San Marco, this morning:
5. Before: The square’s namesake basilica in June. After: And today’s basilica:
6. Crowds gathered at the gates outside Buckingham Palace on March 13, 2020, while only two figures pass on March 24.
7. Traffic queues at Tower Bridge London on March 16, 2020, but only a few vehicles can be seen on March 24, a day after the Prime Minister’s announcement.
8. Visitors gather outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London on January 28, 2014, but on March 24, 2020, hardly anyone is seen.
9. Crowds of people gathered on Barry Island to enjoy the beautiful weather on September 14, 2019. Compare that to March 25, 2020
10. It was a similar scene in Bournemouth. Tourists crowd the beach on June 28, 2019, but on March 23, 2020, only a few people can be seen strolling along the shoreline.
11. People cross the Millennium Bridge in London, with St Paul’s Cathedral in the background, on March 13, 2020, while everything is quite a few days later, on March 25.
12. Ticket holders flock to the sold-out play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at London’s Palace Theater on March 12, 2020. A few days later, theaters, along with restaurants and other nonessential companies, were spotted forced to close as part of the measures to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
13. London Waterloo Station is one of the many busy transportation hubs in the country, which looks very different at the moment, while people are asked to travel alone if absolutely necessary. Passengers can be seen participating in the contest on March 12, 2020, but note the difference on March 25.
14. The streets of central Bath were crowded with visitors and shoppers on March 11, 2020, but on March 24 the stores were closed and the streets were empty.
All pictures subject to copyright
