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7 ingenious ways people are social-distancing around the world right now

As cafés, restaurants, gyms and beaches reopen, people are finding clever ways to stay apart

Ellie Walker-Arnott
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Ellie Walker-Arnott
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After months of strict lockdown, some parts of the world are slowly easing restrictions and attempting to get back to life that looks a bit like it did before. That means sunbathing in city parks, meeting pals for coffee in cafés and eating meals somewhere other than your kitchen. But with social distancing guidelines still in full force (and likely to be for many months to come) people are having to be a little, shall we say, creative about how they make it work in a post-iso world. 

Now, we’re not necessarily suggesting any of these are a good or scientifically sufficient way of solving social distancing issues. But they are interesting to consider and fun to look at. Check out this lot: 

Punters are wearing pool noodle hats to keep other people at bay at a café in Germany

Socially-distanced dining is go in Amsterdam. As long as you’re willing to eat inside individual greenhouses

Mediamatic, Amsterdam
Photograph: Willem Velthoven

Just a little screen between you and your dining pal will do in Bangkok, Thailand. Look at these tables set up for street food: 

Forget bumper cars. Bumper tables are on the menu at this restaurant in the US.

bumper tables
Photograph: Courtesy of Revolution Event Design & Production

This park in Brooklyn, New York, has introduced ingenious sunbathing circles to keep park-goers apart.

parks
Greenpointers/ Amanda Dombrowski

Circles have been swapped out for tanning squares on this Spanish beach

Sunbathing squares in Spain
Photograph: Concello de Sanxenxo

Far from the sand, these gym-goers in Hong Kong are hot and sweaty for a different reason. Thankfully the sweat is staying behind these glass screens:

Seen any other clever social distancing measures? Let us know by posting to Instagram and tagging @TimeOutEverywhere.

Ready to get outside? Here’s are 43 things our Time Out editors all over the world are going to do as soon as life gets back to normal

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