San Francisco shelters in place: How the city looked on the first day of coronavirus shutdown

A shopper wears a mask and shield while shopping. Pedestrians wear masks to protect themselves from the COVID-19 coronavirus in San FranciscoÕs Chinatown neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on July 28, 2020. A shopper wears a mask and shield while shopping. Pedestrians wear masks to protect themselves from the COVID-19 coronavirus in San FranciscoÕs Chinatown neighborhood in San Francisco, Calif. on July 28, 2020. Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Image 1 of / 77 Caption Close San Francisco shelters in place: How the city looked on the first day of coronavirus shutdown 1 / 77 Back to Gallery

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At the stroke of midnight, shelter-in-place orders prompted by the coronavirus pandemic descended on San Francisco. And while the city is remarkably empty on the first day of its implementation, it was by no means completely deserted.

Nearly seven million residents around the Bay Area are required to stay at home through April 7 except for "essential" business and errands, like going to the bank or the grocery store.

Miguel Aguirre, 38, his wife and two children were the only ones Tuesday along a street near San Francisco's City Hall, an area normally bustling with office workers and commuters. He and his wife are janitors at the Boys & Girls Club. They had heard of the shelter-in-place order but decided to show up anyway because they need the money, only to be told to go home by his supervisor.

"It's really a scary situation for us because if we don't work, we don't eat," said Aguirre, of Oakland, who brought his two daughters with him because schools were shuttered. He already lost his second job at the Hotel St. Francis when tourism conferences began canceling a month ago.

"There have been days when I want to cry but I have to keep going, this is a very difficult situation," Aguirre said.

Here's what we saw around the city on March 17, the first day of shelter-in-place in San Francisco:

NOPA

At 7 a.m., a walk around NOPA didn’t look too much different than a typical weekday. The panhandle was full of people going for a morning run and a few people were using the newly installed outdoor exercise equipment. The amount of bike commuters was considerably fewer, though. One local coffee shop is no longer letting people inside — they posted their menus up on the glass and people can order from a makeshift walk-up window (just a regular open window). The corner store is open and the Salvadorian restaurant was also doing takeout.

The nail salon, three salons, a yoga studio and the bike shop were all closed.

THE CASTRO

Castro Street on Tuesday afternoon was not deserted, but a shadow of its normal, vibrant self. The marquee above the Castro Theater's shuttered doors read "Stay Healthy and Safe, We'll Be Back Soon." Friends and couples walked dogs in pairs, although often several feet apart from strangers, across the sidewalks, attempting to social distance while still enjoying the city. Several disgruntled customers seemed saddened to see that the cannabis dispensary on Market Street — The Apothacarium — wasn't open for business, reading the sign in the window stating, "It is with a heavy heart that we report that the city of San Francisco has deemed cannabis dispensaries non-essential at this time."

MOUNT DAVIDSON

While the surrounding streets of Miraloma Park and Glen Park were close t0 empty, the crest of Mount Davidson, the highest point in San Francisco, was full of hikers, dog walkers and even a daycare class reading stories under the Mount Davidson Cross. San Francisco's shelter-in-place mandate allows for hiking, and San Franciscans seemed happy to be able to take advantage of this, on a peaceful, if a little eerie, day in the city.

MISSION DISTRICT

At 3 p.m. in the afternoon in the Mission, birds blatantly ignore the shelter-in-place order. Their songs sound much louder on the quiet blocks. Kids still dribble basketballs on the sidewalks with their dads, but people passing by step into the bike lanes to keep a safe distance. Oranges and onions still line the streets of 24th Street in the Mission, fresh produce stacked high in front of mom and pop grocers. The lines inside look orderly and reasonable. Torta and burrito smells sneak onto the sidewalk, but the seats are empty at Taqueria El Farolito, a "takeout only" sign taped to the window. A man holding leashes in each arm walks in my direction with his twin chihuahuas strafing the sidewalk. My dog looks at me confused as we jaywalk to the other side of the street, where we pass a defiant pink posterboard on a wall that says, "Stop here coronoavirus does not enter."

WESTERN ADDITION

Runners, bikers, a couple basketball players and a handful of skateboarders took to the park at the Panhandle on the first day of shelter-in-place Tuesday afternoon. Most were careful, sure to remain a healthy distance away from everyone else, but the scene didn’t appear all that much different than a normal weekday.

Nearby Baker Street was also still in business. A bodega, doughnut shop and a cafe were open, though the latter’s outdoor patio — typically packed with people, even on weekdays — was empty. The Kaiser on Geary, meanwhile, is very busy. Yesterday, a party rental company truck dropped off tents for the driveway by the emergency room; outside today are doctors in neon green jackets and face masks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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SFGATE reporters Andrew Chamings, Tessa McLean, Amy Graff, Alyssa Pereira contributed to this report.