Liz Zamora could hardly make it out of her apartment on 1st Street last week, between all the people packed around a giant screen playing the Mexico vs. South Korea World Cup match in the middle of the street, and others spilling out of the bars and restaurants between Vicente Fernandez and State Street in Boyle Heights.
This was on the second day of the neighborhood’s eight-day fire at the Lineage warehouse just a couple of miles away.
Almost a week later, when Mexico faced off and eventually beat the Czech Republic’s national soccer team, 1st Street was practically empty, other than one small outdoor watch party. Zamora could now not only exit her apartment, but could now comfortably take her dog for a walk. But when she stepped outside this time, she made sure to wear a KN95 mask.