Photo | People Attend Piers and Beaches During a Pandemic

Last updated on August 25, 2021

Is it safe to go outside? America has been on lockdown for months now, and people are questioning when they can resume their normal lives. In a series of interviews by the Outspoken Oppa, people have expressed mixed views on the government response to the pandemic or the pandemic itself.

*Downtown Santa Monica, August 2020. (Photo Credit: Ethan Kim/ The Outspoken Oppa)*

The summer afternoon heat is beating on the back of a family as they trudge in the warm sand towards the water. As they walk towards a highly-populated area without a face covering, looks of concern and judgment are shot their way by onlookers. When they finally get to the water, the parents place their towel on the soft dirt and open a cold beer as their children sprint to the calm waves.

Everything wasn’t normal, but, in that moment, the family act as if everything was normal.

As of August 26th, 2020. in a LA Times report, there have been 5,739 new cases and 122.7 new deaths per day in the past week. Yet, people are pitching umbrellas and blowing up floaties on various beaches. As months come and gone without the successful development of a vaccine, some people have started to ignore politicians and public safety official’s urges to be cautious in public.

Fishers, social gatherings, and public events swarm the piers of Downtown Santa Monica. Small booths are selling trinkets and toys to insistent children of passing families. People with face masks and without face masks roam the wooden planks in search of activities to cure their boredom. Social distancing is practiced on occasion but is forgotten in visits to boardwalk shops.

*People gather in Venice in August 2020 (Ethan Kim/ The Oustpoken Oppa)*

On the streets of Los Angeles County, thousands of people go about their daily schedule or walk to sightsee. Once again, there is a mixed perspective to mask-wearing, social distancing, and government response to COVID-19.

The city fills with all walks of life. The smell of the neglected use of soap penetrates the noses of bystanders. Various people with different strides and objectives occupy the bustling streets of LA County some hope to find a job in an uncertain economy, while others seek a relaxing day at the beach.