Coronavirus fears have turned malls everywhere from Italy to Washington into ghost towns

Courtesy of Yzabella Ainna

Malls have emptied around the world.

• Malls around the world are standing nearly empty as fear over the spread of the coronavirus causes people to avoid public spaces and increasingly confine to their homes.
• We compiled a collection of eerie images of malls everywhere that have transformed into ghost towns.
• The malls are everywhere from Washington State to the Philippines and Italy.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Malls around the world are growing increasingly empty as coronavirus spreads, stoking fear over congregating in public spaces.

The World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak a pandemic on March 11, as the novel coronavirus has now infected more than 127,000 people in over 100 countries. The rapid spread of the virus has prompted nationwide lockdowns in both Italy and El Salvador, and cancellations of everything from major conferences like SXSW to sporting events like NBA games.

Since the coronavirus spreads from person-to-person contact, WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending "social distancing" - maintaining a distance of six feet from others and limiting social interaction.

As a result, public places like malls are becoming increasingly devoid of shoppers, essentially transforming into ghost towns.

Keep scrolling to see the eerie effects that the coronavirus is having on malls and retail around the world.