It may be peak bloom, but officials don’t want you visiting the Tidal Basin.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, the cherry blossoms in D.C. are still blooming. Unfortunately, the National Park Service is having trouble enforcing social distancing at the park. Despite closing Metro stations near the Tidal Basin and encouraging people to view the Bloomcam from home, people still flocked to the area on Saturday. Faced with a repeat on Sunday, park officials made the decision to close streets and parking lots around the National Mall. 

After announcing the beginning of peak bloom on Friday, the National Park Service made a plea asking people not to visit the Tidal Basin area. Metro even closed the Smithsonian and Arlington Cemetery Stations to prevent people from taking the train. However, despite the warnings and closures, the Tidal Basin was still packed with people on Saturday. Crowds resembled those seen on a busy holiday weekend, spilling over to the National Mall and surrounding monuments.

The cherry trees are officially at peak bloom! For a spectacular live look at the Tidal Basin ringed in white and pink, check out the new #BloomCam, courtesy of our friends @TheNationalMall and @CherryBlossFest. Look in any time at https://t.co/vBYY3Qgj4d. #BloomWatch pic.twitter.com/PRsyOJ2Xdv

— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) March 20, 2020

To make sure history didn’t repeat itself on Sunday, D.C. Police and NPS closed streets and bridges around the park from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition, several parking lots were also closed to further discourage rule breakers. Late Sunday, Mayor Bowser asked the National Guard to help enforce closures around the National Mall. Because peak bloom can last for 14 days, officials said the area could be subject to closures until peak bloom is over.

The NPS is still encouraging everyone to stay home and watch the blooms on the Bloomcam. Powered by Earthcam, the Bloomcam provides a 24-hour live stream of the Tidal Basin with three different views. The site also has a 24-hour time-lapse so you can see the spectacular sunrises and sunsets with the blooms! Peak bloom in the Tidal Basin began on March 20 and can last up 14 days.