Anyone who’s taken a stroll through Vancouver’s downtown core in recent days could be forgiven if they thought they’d accidentally waked onto the set of a zombie horror film.
Along with the virtual absence of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, shops throughout the shopping district have swapped plywood boards for enticing display windows.
It’s a measure meant to deter crimes of opportunity, as the city’s streets take on a ghostly flavour amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
According to Vancouver police, the precautions are warranted. The VPD says there were 81 reports of commercial break-ins between March 16 and 26, nearly as many reports as in the two-week period from March 1-16.