COVID-19 has affected people across the globe and one of the ways being economical. Due to no visitors allowed to the island the city of Avalon has started to look like a lonely abandon town. May is when the summer traffic starts to pick up and there is no visitors insight. The island does not want to allow visitors back too soon due to people still being infected. COVID-19 is a pandemic across the globe and is affecting other well-known tourist spots. Catalina Island is a great example of how people rely on this foot traffic for a living. Below is an article from the Los Angeles times explaining in more depth about the “Islanders were resigned to one of the biggest economic hits of their lifetime. But they also offered perspective.”
http://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-19/coronavirus-pandemic-disease-catalina-avalon#null
Photo Credit: Kelsie Grant
As of mid-May, the island has reopened with new guidelines. Though with weeks of Catalina being closed has it helped the natural habitat with less human contact or lead to a long term negative economic effect? On the island, there have only been 2 positive cases. Did closing the island temporarily help keep the number of cases low? Hopefully, COVID-19 continues to get better, but with “normal” life taking a pause how is it going to affect the future of the world and for the importance of this project, Catalina Island.