Coronavirus Pandemic Makes Cooling Off from California Heatwave a Struggle

RANCHO CORDOVA, KOMPAS.com – The coronavirus pandemic has made cooling off from the California heatwave difficult for Debera Diaz and her son Joshua. 

Air-conditioned public venues have shut down making it inaccessible to cool down inside malls and movie theaters. 

Their town of Sacramento was facing dangerously high temperatures of 109 degrees Fahrenheit last week.

The mother-son duo has been living in Debera’s Honda Civic for a few months following her divorce and eviction.

Read also: Tourist Attractions and Malls in Jakarta Half-Empty Despite Reopening

Nowadays, they are grateful to find a cooling center in City Hall, complete with masks, and “The Devil Wears Prada” movie playing.

"You can't even go to the library," said Diaz, 58. "It was really bad."

The coronavirus pandemic presents vexing challenges for officials trying to protect residents from extreme weather conditions.

Many places people usually go are closed, and public cooling centers like the one in Rancho Cordova can only accept half the normal number of people because of physical distancing requirements.

Staying with relatives or friends is also difficult because of health concerns.