The Atlantic

You Should Already Be in Lockdown

“Six feet away” just doesn’t cut it.
Source: Nicolò Campo / Getty

I know you want to, but just don’t. That quick walk to get takeout? Skip it. Traveling elsewhere to ride out the pandemic with family? Too risky. And don’t even get me started about spring break.

Social distancing has become the rallying cry of the coronavirus pandemic—a guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that has blown up into a and even . It’s an alluring prospect: Just cancel those plans with friends and stay six feet away from everyone, and we should be able to-style lockdown. But , , and have now taken it a step further, compelling their residents to stay at home.

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