‘I think it’s a smart decision’

Southern California residents on Friday appeared to heed calls to stay home as the most populous state in the US battles the coronavirus pandemic.

Along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, usually teeming with tourists taking pictures next to the "stars" that dot the avenue in the heart of Tinseltown, only a few people could be seen on the sidewalks -- many of them homeless.

The many souvenir and T-shirt shops that carry just about everything Hollywood were shuttered as was the famous TCL Chinese Theatre, giving an eery feeling to the area.

The tourist buses which were still operating on Thursday -- though serving very few die-hard customers -- were also gone.

Elsewhere throughout Los Angeles, only restaurants serving take-out, pharmacies, and supermarkets remained open as people rushed to stock up on supplies.

At the Santa Monica Pier, another hot spot for tourists, a sign that read "Temporary Pier Closure, Until Further Notice" greeted visitors.

Nearby at Venice Beach, the famed boardwalk usually crowded with visitors was mostly empty with only young skateboarders and some surfers in the water.

In other parts of the city, more than a dozen people interviewed said they were taking the lockdown order in their stride and planned to follow official advice to isolate and only go out for exercise, errands and essential jobs.

"I think it's a smart decision," said Nicole Sotolongo, 41, as she walked around her neighborhood of Los Feliz with her two small children.

"It's hard to slow down and to say I'm going to do something different... but a lot of it is kind of a mental game too and you got to stay positive."

Local authorities in northern California earlier this week had issued a stay-at-home order for several counties in the region but on Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom extended the order statewide.