They're reacting by obeying strict distancing laws, or so it would appear to me and DaveR.
Be aware the aim of all news photographers since February whether they're on beaches, golf courses or urban shopping strips, has been to use the zoom to deceptively enhance the distant humans and effectively crowd everyone together for the camera.. There are 21 or 22 people outside of shops in that city block, counting every part head I can see, including one mother/daughter social-unit and several couples which would also be social-units. The photographer would have taken a hundred photos trying to get as many humans as possible in the shot and I'm tipping the photo which gave the appearance of the most crowded scene was chosen for publication.
Some of those headline-grabbing beach shots from months ago, squeezed 3km of scattered beachcombers and couples into what appears at first glance a seemingly crowded beach.
