Atlanta Post-Lockdown: Many Americans Gather To Buy New Air Jordans

A mall in Atlanta saw a huge crowd gathering outside Saturday to get their hands on the new Air Jordan sneakers after shelter-in-place orders, and lockdown restrictions were lifted. A local NBC news affiliate, WXIA-TV 11Alive reported the massive crowd of shoppers gathered outside Greenbriar Mall to be among the first owners of Air Jordan 5 “Fire Red” sneakers.

Lockdown Orders Lifted

Greenbriar Mall had the first-hand experience of how great is the yearning of people to go out of their homes as they packed outside waiting for the establishment to open. According to 11Alive news, many of them wanted to go to Jimmy Jazz, a shoe store inside the mall, to buy the sneakers which had been sold out online. Reports say that the popular sneaker’s release coincided with the first installment of the docu-series The Last Dance, which is the final run of Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls.

A video shared by the local NBC news affiliate showed hundreds of shoppers waiting in line to get inside the mall and get their hands on the popular sneakers. Reports say that some of the shoppers were observing social distancing recommendations, but many were not. Public health officials have recommended keeping a distance of at least two meters from others and wearing face coverings.

Gatherings Everywhere

11Alive news also reported that the mall is just one of the places where Atlanta residents have gathered after the opportunity to come together arose after weeks of isolation. In a separate report, throngs of Atlanta residents also gathered to catch a glimpse of the famous Blue Angels and Thunderbirds perform a high-flying spectacle. The military fly-over courtesy of the U.S. Navy and Air Force provided an amazing sight for Atlanta crowds below.

The same group also made a high-flying performance in the state of New York on Tuesday last week in honor of frontline workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Their performance in New York, however, created some controversy as reports say crowds watching them did not observe social distancing measures.

In Atlanta, the same thing has also been observed by those covering situation reports regarding events transpiring during the lifting of the lockdown. According to reports, crowds stood shoulder to shoulder as they watched the high-flying performance of the famed squadrons. Some of them were wearing masks, and many are not.

A Controversial Decision

The decision of Gov. Brian Kemp and other state officials in Georgia to loosen restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the virus has been a bit controversial. A lot of people, including some local officials in the state, fear the lifting of restrictions too early may accelerate the spread of the virus. The decision has even earned pushback from President Trump, who had been advocating the reopening of economies in some states. The president is said to have privately approved of the plan of Georgia to reopen, according to reports. Only a few days later, however, President Trump spoke out in public against the decision of Gov. Brian Kemp.

Reports also say that the Atlanta mayor is among those who have pushed back against the decision, saying Georgia is not ready to reopen. Quoting health experts, the mayor said pandemic models shown by Harvard and MIT computer scientists and epidemiologists opening the economy now could backfire and cost thousands of lives.