Austin's downtown streets would normally be bustling with activity as the city welcomes the warming spring weather. Instead, with stay-at-home orders issued by Austin and Travis County authorities to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, effective March 25, an eerie quietness has set over the city's busiest corridors.

However, crowds have still gathered in some areas of town. A sizable group convened on the free side of Barton Springs pool March 24. The next day, a group of people near the pool was still present but significantly smaller.

Austin City Hall reporter Christopher Neely captured those scenes March 24, after the stay-at-home orders were announced but before they went into effect, and March 25, after those orders were enacted.