People around the world are keeping a safe distance from each other in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Divided We Stand: This Is How The World Is Social Distancing
- By RFE/RL
![Flowers painted on the floor of Vake Church in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, help visitors practice social distancing on March 25.](https://gdb.rferl.org/8d65fbcd-eae7-4ad7-b570-a0b1e707cb72_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Flowers painted on the floor of Vake Church in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, help visitors practice social distancing on March 25.
![Women gather in Iran's Lorestan Province.](https://gdb.rferl.org/5274f320-84ec-47fb-9863-dc2388b863c9_w1024_q10_s.png)
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Women gather in Iran's Lorestan Province.
![Customers stand in designated areas marked on the floor outside meat and grocery shops to maintain recommended social distancing during a government-imposed national lockdown as a preventive measure against the coronavirus in Islamabad on March 25.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0414207e-df23-415d-8aa9-092800ff7744_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Customers stand in designated areas marked on the floor outside meat and grocery shops to maintain recommended social distancing during a government-imposed national lockdown as a preventive measure against the coronavirus in Islamabad on March 25.
![In the Pakistani city of Karachi, chalk lines are used to keep people at a safe distance. These men wait to receive sacks of food from a charity on March 26. Pakistan has shut all markets, public places, and discouraged large gatherings to contain the spread of the coronavirus.](https://gdb.rferl.org/b28e50aa-ac56-4eed-967f-95e99adbd8ed_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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In the Pakistani city of Karachi, chalk lines are used to keep people at a safe distance. These men wait to receive sacks of food from a charity on March 26. Pakistan has shut all markets, public places, and discouraged large gatherings to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
![People in the Indian city of Jalandhar stand on designated areas to maintain social distancing as they wait to buy vegetables.](https://gdb.rferl.org/d5c1c8a7-1d70-4ac0-83d5-41d10e11f1cf_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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People in the Indian city of Jalandhar stand on designated areas to maintain social distancing as they wait to buy vegetables.
![People wait for takeaway food orders at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 24.](https://gdb.rferl.org/63388731-94cb-4ab5-9cb2-926b7370f523_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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People wait for takeaway food orders at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 24.
![Signs that assist with social distancing are used by shoppers who wait in line at a grocery store in Austin, Texas, on March 25.](https://gdb.rferl.org/e5d3dc0f-04e7-462a-b4aa-1f29aae2a648_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Signs that assist with social distancing are used by shoppers who wait in line at a grocery store in Austin, Texas, on March 25.
![New Yorkers wear masks and maintain their distance in a long line outside Trader Joe's on March 25.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0c4db5a1-3570-48dd-8e12-fbdd6116c83f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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New Yorkers wear masks and maintain their distance in a long line outside Trader Joe's on March 25.
![People practice social distancing while sitting in Hell's Kitchen Park in New York City on March 24.](https://gdb.rferl.org/93591ea4-4092-4998-9cf8-a4d64710149c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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People practice social distancing while sitting in Hell's Kitchen Park in New York City on March 24.
![Chalk marks at a farmers market in Oakland, California, keep people at a safe distance.](https://gdb.rferl.org/5cabd5a4-80bb-4200-b226-d64a4f9e4790_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Chalk marks at a farmers market in Oakland, California, keep people at a safe distance.
![A shopper stands in a designated safe spot outside Safe Supply: Outdoor Grocery Store in Somerville, Massachusetts. The store takes reservations, requires customers to wash their hands, and offers them the opportunity to shop without touching items.](https://gdb.rferl.org/4d4833b9-8dc1-442a-b74a-241192fb5067_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A shopper stands in a designated safe spot outside Safe Supply: Outdoor Grocery Store in Somerville, Massachusetts. The store takes reservations, requires customers to wash their hands, and offers them the opportunity to shop without touching items.
![A sign is posted in a Houston park reminding people to practice social distancing. A stay-at-home order was issued on March 24 for Houston and Harris County residents to help fight the spread of COVID-19. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/71ae3d28-ca3f-4570-bbec-3e22dd0e5bce_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A sign is posted in a Houston park reminding people to practice social distancing. A stay-at-home order was issued on March 24 for Houston and Harris County residents to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
![London nurses distance themselves as they line up for donated lunches on March 25. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has implemented social-distancing measures banning social gatherings and groups of more than two people.](https://gdb.rferl.org/70a06c67-6cb5-40b4-91f6-9a8753872d32_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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London nurses distance themselves as they line up for donated lunches on March 25. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has implemented social-distancing measures banning social gatherings and groups of more than two people.
![People stand in marked spots at a fast-food restaurant in London on March 20.](https://gdb.rferl.org/bb8592ff-7838-4652-a2f4-c4d971994f9d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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People stand in marked spots at a fast-food restaurant in London on March 20.
![Social-distancing measures at a Tesco grocery store in London on March 24](https://gdb.rferl.org/6bac5ca8-cad4-4dd5-9290-a2bb0c4a2b94_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Social-distancing measures at a Tesco grocery store in London on March 24
![People queue at the entrance of a supermarket while keeping a safe distance from one another in Bucharest, Romania. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced a lockdown across the country on March 25 and asked the army to help enforce the new measures. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/612de32c-1d03-4b21-9e37-0a44c2ac6ffe_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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People queue at the entrance of a supermarket while keeping a safe distance from one another in Bucharest, Romania. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced a lockdown across the country on March 25 and asked the army to help enforce the new measures.
![People line up and keep a safe distance outside a shop in Barcelona, Spain, on March 17.](https://gdb.rferl.org/0408560e-1722-4ba0-ad7c-3273d0ea0aff_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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People line up and keep a safe distance outside a shop in Barcelona, Spain, on March 17.