Launched TUESDAY March 24, 2020 on www.zReportage.com Story #729: The Big Empty: Tourist hotspots around the world are deserted due to COVID-19, with several major cities under lockdown. In cities not under lockdown, social distancing measures are being heavily encouraged. Governments are advising against all non-essential domestic travel, with the US and Europe enforcing strict international travel bans. From citywide quarantines to infections aboard cruise ships to cancellations of major international events, the global public health emergency caused by the coronavirus has been unfolding rapidly and dramatically. The virus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19, emerged in Wuhan, China, late last year, but it has since spread to 196 countries. There are 375,000 confirmed cases and 16,000 deaths worldwide. In the USA, as of March 24, at least 52,215 people across every state and US territory have tested positive for the virus, and at least 675 people have died. Japan and the International Olympic Committee have agreed to postpone the 2020 Tokyo games until next year, but said they would happen no later than summer 2021. Up until this point, Europe was considered the epicenter for the virus, with Italy being the primary source of both new cases and deaths. Deaths in the country have begun to slow there recently. WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris stated ‘There is a glimmer of hope,’ regarding Italy. ‘We’ve seen in the last two days fewer new cases and deaths in Italy but it’s very, very early days yet.’
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A departure gate is almost empty at the international terminal of Tokyo's Haneda airport amid new coronavirus spread.
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A hydraulics professor from Milan Polytechnic in an empty classroom teaching a lesson via webcam to comply with the new measures against the spread of coronavirus.
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Cal Poly Mustangs forward ALICIA ROUFOSSE, left, grabs a rebound from Long Beach State forward CYDNEE KINSLOW, right, in an empty Walter Pyramid in the Big West tournament in Long Beach on Tuesday. Fears over the coronavirus have forced tournament organizers to ban fans from the games this week.
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Monchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: Athletes play during a Bundesliga game in front of empty stands due to Coronavirus fears at Borussia Park.
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A waiter walks around an empty restaurant at St. Marcus square. All of Italy is being placed on lockdown due to coronavirus.
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Parthenon monument empty from tourists. Greek tourism hit hard by cancellations amid coronavirus outbreak.
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Moscow, Russia: Empty stands of CSKA Arena ahead of Leg 6 of the 2019/20 KHL Western Conference quarterfinal playoff tie between HC Spartak Moscow and HC Dynamo Moscow. The match is played with empty stands due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. According to a decree by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin public events with over 5 thousand participants are banned in Moscow due to the coronavirus threat until April 10, 2020.
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The view into the empty concert hall in Dortmund. Due to a decree of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, no public events will take place at the Konzerthaus Dortmund until April 15, 2020.
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The sun rises over the track with what will remain empty stands as USF2000 cars zoom towards turn 10 in the first practice session of the weekend at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
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Pupils leave an empty classroom in the Anton Bruckner Gymnasium after the end of class. Due to the coronavirus crisis, schools and kindergartens in Bavaria will be closed starting next week.
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View of the empty street in Naples city, after the Italian government has imposed unprecedented national restrictions on controlling the coronavirus COVID-19.
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POPE FRANCIS blesses an empty Saint Peter's square after he delivered the angelus by video in the Apostolic Library at the Vatican. As a precaution to avoid spread of the coronavirus the pope delivered the angelus by video and the Vatican is closed to pilgrims and tourists.
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A man walks past aisles of empty shelves during these days of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the Target store in Alexandria, Va.
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The streets are unnaturally quiet around the Arc de Triomphe, during confinement in France to fight against the spread of coronavirus Covid-19.
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A man jogs past a quiet and empty US Capitol as the United States deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. The House is in recess while the Senate remains in session during this deadly health crisis.
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OYO hotel lobby empty as it closed down at 12am Wednesday morning for up to 30+ days due to COVID-19.
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View of the world-famous Eiffel Tower from the deserted Trocadero in Paris, after France put a strict lockdown effect in France to stop the spread of COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. The government has said tens of thousands of police will be patrolling streets and issuing fines of 38 to 135 euros (42-150 USD) citations for people without a written declaration justifying their reasons for being out.
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Belgian Prime Minister SOPHIE WILMES (C) addresses a near-empty Parliament, with only the Vice-Prime Ministers and the Group Leaders present, during a plenary session of the chamber at the federal parliament. It is expected that the Prime Minister will ask a vote of confidence for her minority government in current affairs, so that the government can take the necessary decisions to fight the corona crisis more easily.
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General view of The Oculus as the Coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak continues. Across the city businesses, schools and places of work have been shutting down, leading to empty streets and quiet neighborhoods.
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A person wearing a mask due to Coronavirus fears, crosses an empty Brooklyn Bridge. Coronavirus fears spread as people wear masks and subway stations and various other venues empty out.
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Warsaw, Poland: Empty streets in following the declaration of the state of epidemic threat during an outbreak of coronavirus in Poland.
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An empty parking lot at IKEA due to Coronavirus fears.
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General view of an empty subway platform at Chancery Lane Underground Station. Transport for London announced the closure of up to 40 stations as officials advised against non-essential travel. Bus and London Overground service will also be reduced.
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Colwyn Bay beach is almost empty on a sunny Spring day.
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With no tourists or crowds to perform for along Hollywood Blvd, JONTE FLORENCE works on his moves near Hollywood and Highland Thursday. The coronavirus has closed restaurants, stores, theaters and many commuters are now working from home.
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With stores like Nordstrom, and GAP at left, closed, and people staying home for the Shelter in Place order due to coronavirus. Market St. seen from above, had far fewer pedestrians than usual, in San Francisco.
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Pianist DENIS MATSUEV, double bassist ANDREI IVANOV and percussion player ALEXANDER ZINGER (R-L) perform during a live broadcast from the empty Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. The Russian Culture Ministry advised to suspend public events due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
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The 10 Freeway and 110 Freeway have unusually light traffic because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak during midday in Downtown Los Angeles.
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KRISTEN SHEPHERD kisses her husband TODD BERMAN as the couple gets married on the steps of City Hall with Mayor RICK KRISEMAN officiating on Friday. Coronavirus forced Museum of Fine Arts executive director Kristen Shepherd to cancel her original wedding plans, So she reached out to Mayor Kriseman to see if he would officiate her marriage to Todd Berman on the steps of City Hall, with less than 10 people in attendance and all standing six feet apart.
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A woman wearing a mask walks by the Louvre museum, unusually deserted, as a strict lockdown comes into effect to stop the spread of the Coronavirus covid-19 disease. The Louvre, the world's most visited museum 9.6 million visitors last year, is closed until further notice.
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Empty road during day five of Movement Control Order (MCO) enforcement. Malaysia is under 14 days partial lockdown as the government enforce the order for people to stay home in an attempt to curb the coronavirus outbreak amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
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Army soldiers enforce a Coronavirus COVID-19 emergency stay-at-home decree by checking passengers at the gates to access trains at Milan Piazza Duomo to verify the actual need to move.
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ALEXANDER RODER, main pastor at the main church St. Michaelis (Der Michel), preaches in front of empty pews. In order to fight the coronavirus, attending church services is currently prohibited, but this will be broadcast live by Hamburg1.
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Virtually empty 42nd street in Manhattan on first day of Stay at Home executive order.
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A man walks in front of the Colosseum during the 14th day of lockdown imposed nationwide by the Italian government that tries to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. All movement in the city is restricted, and streets usually filled with life and traffic are almost empty.
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Two people wearing face masks as preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus walk through a rather empty Piccadilly train station. Household isolation, social distancing, working from home, avoidance of public gatherings have been recommended while public transport has been reduced as part of protective measures to reduce the spread of the disease in the UK.
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Two pedestrians walk on a nearly empty street. U.S. Vice President Pence said on Monday that 313,000 coronavirus tests have been completed in the United States, and more than 41,000 tests were positive.
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Movement at the Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan during the Coronavirus Pandemic COVID-19 in New York in the United States.
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The Breakers hotel has no guests. The hotel closed last week over concerns about the coronavirus. It plans to stay closed for at least three weeks.
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Movement at the Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan during the Coronavirus Pandemic COVID-19 in New York in the United States.
© Vanessa Carvalho/ZUMA Wire

Adrien Vautier, Alberto Pezzali, Andy Barton, Anton Novoderezhkin, Aristidis Vafeiadaki, Armin Weigel, Bernd Thissen, Claudio Furlan, David Crane, David Powell, Dirk Shadd, Dirk Waem, Gene Blevins, Giuseppe Fama, Greg Lovett, Jeff Gritchen, Joel Marklund, Kuba Stezycki, Laporta Salvatore, Lev Radin, Marechal Aurore, Markus Scholz, Mirco Toniolo, Naoki Nishimura, Paul Kuroda, Petit Francis, Rod Lamkey, Scott Varley, Valery Sharifulin, Vanessa Carvalho, Zahim Mohd. .Newspapers, Picture Agencies, Wire Services Featured: AFLO, Abaca, Belga, Bildbyran, CNP, DPA, FORUM, Imago, LaPresse, Le Pictorium Agency, Mirrorpix/Newscom, Newscom, NurPhoto, Orange County Register, Pacific Press, Palm Beach Post, ROPI, SOPA Images, TASS, Tampa Bay Times, Xinhua, ZUMA Wire.
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