Life in the Desert Goes On

As the coronavirus crisis takes an unimaginable toll on the Coachella Valley, this is how those who call the desert home are carrying on.

July 24, 2020
Story by Staff Report
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Artist Colleena Hake performs a journal reading for a visitor at her La Matadora Gallery in Joshua Tree as part of her 17-day shelter-in-gallery performance 
art piece.

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An empty basketball court in Bagdouma Park in Coachella.

The coronavirus pandemic has meant a shift away from indoor dining to takeout and pickup. A customer leaves with a takeaway from Bill’s Pizza in Palm Springs.

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Lyndie Greenwood rides a four-wheeler near Pioneertown.

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Graduating seniors and staff celebrate during carside cap and gown pickup at Indio High School. The pandemic canceled the traditional high school graduation ceremonies.

Bike riders cruise past Desert Lodge in Palm Springs.

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Agricultural workers in Thermal.

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Santina “The Biscotti Lady” Pellegrino at the Certified Farmers’ Market in Palm Desert.

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Payment accepted at the Certified Farmers’ Market in Palm Desert.

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Newsubstance’s Spectra art installation at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

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Since the pandemic began in March, standing in line has become the new normal. The line to enter and a shopper leaving Trader Joe’s in Palm Desert.

Frank Cazares and other volunteers at the C.V. Mask Project in Palm Springs.

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A woman and her dog stop for a rest in Palm Springs.

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Tramway Road in Palm Springs.

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Monticello Park in La Quinta.

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Drive-thru testing site at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

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Melissa Morgan and her dog in Pioneertown.

A bike rider on Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.

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Drive-thru testing site at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage.

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Deborah Hovel takes a break from mask making at her Desert Star vacation rental property in Palm Springs.

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Rental cars in the overflow lot at the Palm Springs International Airport.

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Palm Springs Art Museum.

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A skateboarder flashes a heart symbol in Palm Springs.

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An empty window at Emerson & Farrar Fine Jewelry in Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage High School.

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Jérémiah Levi Samson and Nicholas J. Sosa perform during a drive-in concert 
in Yucca Valley.

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