Categories: Politics

Before-and-after aerial photos show how coronavirus is changing life in America

Courtesy of Maxar Technologies

No one is visiting the Statute of Liberty anymore.

In just a few short weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has completely changed life in America.

Almost no one is visiting the Statue of Liberty. Ice rinks in New York City are abandoned. The parking lots of once-bustling New England ski resorts are empty. Airports are devoid of planes, while rental car parking lots are chock full.

This transformation is eerily evident in satellite images captured by the private space firm Maxar Technologies. The photos, which Maxar shared with Vox, show five popular locations across the country both before and after the outbreak. Collectively, they show a country grinding to a halt as people stay inside and avoid large crowds to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

It’s a startling sign of the impact social distancing is having on the United States, both economically and in terms of the normalcy of everyday life. As fewer people fly, visit cultural sites, and go on vacation, parts of America are, in essence, turning into ghost towns. And while such measures are necessary to slow the outbreak that is ravaging other countries, it’s still stunning to see.

The satellite images showing the dramatic changes taking place throughout the country are below.