How Neighbors Are Social Distancing—Together

Social distancing doesn't mean you can't still socialize. In Indiana, Fort Wayne is suggesting residents go outside every night and wave to their neighbors—from the recommended distance of at least 6 feet apart. "Now is the time to look after one another, even from a safe distance," the city posted on its official Facebook page last week. As CNN reports, other cities, including Grand Rapids, Mich., and Sandusky, Ohio, have put out similar calls. One block in Albany, NY, is stepping outside every night at 6:15pm, Chris Churchill reports for the Times Union. On a recent night, one resident wore a tuxedo for the occasion and sipped from a glass of scotch. And KOAA reports that a Colorado Springs neighborhood has been putting on "dancing from a distance" parties with the help of local radio stations.

"When the music starts, I don't have to think about it anymore ... It's a serious situation, but at the same time, it doesn't have to rule our lives," says one of the Colorado Springs dancers. "I hope that the rest of the city, the state gets involved, and we can really make Colorado go viral for a good reason," adds a DJ at one of the participating radio stations. Churchill, who visited the Albany neighborhood, writes: "In Italy, one of the nations most ravaged by COVID-19, people confined to their apartments are emerging to sing from their balconies. In neighborhoods around the world, including mine, families are painting hopeful rainbows and taping them in their windows. On streets far and near, neighbors are coming outside to dance and play music together—or to applaud for the medical workers who are most fighting this battle most intensely. On Fleetwood Avenue, they're coming out to wave." (More uplifting news stories.)