A year into the pandemic, it’s even more clear that it’s safer to be outside

The photos of Clearwater Beach, Fla., went viral last spring: people crowded on the sand, seemingly unconcerned about the deadly new contagion coursing across the world. Local officials, accused of fueling a public health crisis, quickly shut 35 miles of county beaches and left them closed for weeks.

What a difference a year makes. The beaches were even busier this year, but officials say there were no talks of closure. There was also far less outcry.