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Socializing in a Pandemic, Protected by Plastic (28 photos)

As countries and local governments begin cautious steps toward reopening parts of society that have been shut down by the coronavirus outbreak, various types of clear plastic barriers are going up in places where people interact regularly. Schools, restaurants, workplaces, and shops have installed plexiglass shields, plastic curtains, tents, and screens, as measures to prevent the spread of the virus, leading to a new social landscape of clear plastic barriers. Some nursing homes have been using chambers with plastic walls to keep visitors separate, yet allow much-needed contact. Collected below, from recent weeks, some views of our new plastic-separated world.

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Olivia Grant (right) hugs her grandmother, Mary Grace Sileo through a plastic drop cloth hung up on a homemade clothesline during Memorial Day Weekend on May 24, 2020 in Wantagh, New York. It is the first time they have had contact of any kind since the coronavirus pandemic lockdown started in late February. ( Al Bello / Getty)
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https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/05/photos-socializing-pandemic-protected-by-plastic/612088/