Restaurants are empty. School playgrounds are quiet. Even the normally bustling Aquarium of the Pacific is shut down.

Without a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19, staying away from other people is still the best way to fight the spread of the new coronavirus, according to health officials. In Long Beach, desolate parking lots, empty gyms and deserted libraries made it clear that many people are taking that direction seriously.

Here’s what some normally busy areas of town looked like this week.

No crowds at the Aquarium of the Pacific after it was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Stephen Carr.
LA Fitness in the Los Altos neighborhood Tuesday March 17. The gym parking lot is often packed, but gyms have been ordered to close. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
One customer enters Simmzy’s Gastropub & Restaurant in Belmont Shore for lunch. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, city officials have ordered the closure of restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and other places where large crowds gather. Photo by Stephen Carr.
The Carnival Cruise Line ship Panorama anchored off the shores of Long Beach. Carnival is one of the cruise lines that has suspended operations. Workers are still living on the ship but passengers have unloaded. Photo by Stephen Carr.
Seeking shelter from the rain, a homeless man cleans off the entrance to the Los Altos Branch of the Long Beach Library, which was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Stephen Carr.
Two crows were the only ones using an empty schoolyard at Prisk Elementary School in Long Beach Monday morning All schools in Long Beach Unified have been closed. Photo by Stephen Carr.
This week, AMC Theatres announced the closure of all 630 locations nationwide, including in Long Beach. Paired with the mandatory suspension of dining in at restaurants, the shopping center is unusually deserted because of COVID-19. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
The Potholder Cafe P3 near the traffic circle is usually a hotspot for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Tuesday, the restaurant was closed, leaving the parking lot deserted. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
The desolate parking lot of Planet Fitness near the traffic circle stands in stark contrast to the bustling lot of the Vons grocery store. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
The Local Spot in southeast Long Beach sits empty except for two takeout customers during what would usually be the lunchtime rush. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
Hof’s Hut in Los Altos neighborhood at peak breakfast operating hours. The restaurant normally opens at 6 a.m. daily but currently opens at 11 a.m. to to-go orders only because of COVID-19. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
No cars in the Wilson parking. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.
No cars in the Wilson High School parking lot Monday. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.
The quad at Prisk Elementary School Monday. All LBUSD campuses are offering breakfast and lunch to kids, but no classes are being taught. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.
Empty athletic fields at Wilson. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.
Empty athletic fields at Wilson High School. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.
Normally packed Long Beach Poly on the first day of COVID-19 school closures. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.
Normally packed with thousands of students, Poly High School stood almost empty on the first day of the COVID-19 campus closures. Photo by Mike Guardabascio.