11 photos showing the devastating effects of the coronavirus on business

BYMcKenna Moore, Mia Diehl and Alex Scimecca

On March 16, the streets of the Lower East Side in Manhattan were eerily quiet. The usually-bustling downtown neighborhood, like much, if not all, of the U.S. has fallen victim to the novel coronavirus outbreak and the panic surrounding it.

People aren’t going to work, stores, restaurants, happy hour, or their nail appointments. You might catch a New Yorker or two popping into their neighborhood bodega to re-up on the essentials, but that seems to be it.

As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, every corner of daily life is being hit. Not least of all, as exemplified by the decimated stock market, businesses are now feeling the pain.

Americans began self-isolating in large part at the end of last week, and public spaces have noticeably emptied. Fortune gathered photos of desolate businesses, from national chains to mom and pop shops, across the country.

This is business’s new reality—for now, at least.

7th Avenue Times Square is seen nearly empty during a regular day in New York City on March 14.

Eduardo Munoz—Reuters

Employee Myra Luna Antonio closes French Quarter restaurant Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans on March 15. The 24-hour restaurant discontinued it’s seating service to comply with COVID-19 related restrictions.

Jonathan Bachman—Reuters

An employee cleans the grounds behind the closed gates of Disneyland Park on the first day of the closure of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks on March 14.

DAVID MCNEW—AFP/Getty Images

Apple Store employees stand outside the closed Palm Desert, Calif., store to answer customers’ questions on March 14. Apple announced stores will be closed until March 27.

Eduardo Munoz—Reuters

Coronavirus-Retail Closings-Independence Square

A sign indicating that Independence Hall is temporarily closed for cleaning is posted outside the historic building in Philadelphia on March 16. In a new front to slow the spread of the new coronavirus in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all restaurants and bars to close their dine-in facilities in five heavily populated counties starting Monday.

Matt Rourke—AP Images

A delivery driver leaves a Domino’s Pizza restaurant in downtown Seattle on a bike on March 15. Washington’s Department of Health announced 127 new cases Sunday, bringing the state total to 769 cases.

Ted S. Warren—AP Images

Empty shelves at a Vons supermarket in Burbank, California on March 14, 2020.

Amy Sussman—Getty Images

The Times Square ticket office for Broadway shows closed because of cancelation in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Lev Radin—Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Chairs are stacked in a Starbucks coffee shop in New York that remained open for customers purchasing for take away service on March 16.

John Minchillo—AP Images

Coronavirus-Retail Closings-Brookside Place

A pedestrian passes through Brookfield Place, a retail hub at the World Financial Center in New York, on March 16. New York joined with Connecticut and New Jersey to close bars, restaurants, and movie theaters starting Monday night.

John Minchillo—AP Images

Coronavirus-Retail Closings-Busch Gardens

A ticket stand at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is idle on March 16. Theme parks around the state are temporarily closing to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Chris O’Meara—AP Images

Coronavirus-Retail Closings-San Francisco

Pedestrians walk by the Castro Theatre in San Francisco announcing its closed due to a California statewide ordinance banning gatherings of more than 250 people on March 15.

Justin Sullivan—Getty Images

11 photos showing the devastating effects of the coronavirus on business

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