STEFANIE DAZIO and MICHAEL R. BLOOD
Associated Press
Empty store shelves. Empty churches. Shuttered classrooms and courts. Warnings everywhere to wash hands and avoid close contact. Even canceled state Senate hearings.
Efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus in California are affecting virtually every facet of life in the Golden State in ways big and small — and in some cases, surreal.
Popular restaurants were desperate for patrons, and typically crowded gyms had plenty of floor space. Some stores limited sales of toilet paper and other goods to combat hoarding.
The phrase "social distancing" — simply, keeping away from other people to prevent the spread of the illness — was suddenly part of everyday conversation. Thousands of people were being urged to work from home, if
