San Francisco officials recently mandated a “shelter in place” for the next three weeks.

To be clear, “shelter in place” is a semi-lockdown that means that “The city will legally prohibit residents from leaving their homes except to meet basic needs including visiting the doctor, buying groceries or medicine, until at least April 7.” That means no more sultry salsa dancing or trivia Tuesdays with that new girl you met on Hinge.

This same precautionary step is being echoed throughout the nation as various states have prohibited gatherings of over 50 people and have forced bars, gyms, movie theaters, restaurants, and other active entities to at least partially shut down.

The steps have been taken to curb the spread of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. With government health officials predicting that between 70-150 million Americans will become infected with the enigmatic virus, drastic steps are being taken.

But despite people now holing up at home, life must go on and sanity must remain intact. Dating doesn’t need to be put on hold due to the pandemic, just creatively amended.

In order to both heed these restrictions and flatten the curve, here are the most unique date ideas during the coronavirus outbreak.

Date Ideas for Singles And Early-Stage Relationships

Your first date was awesome.

Then the pandemic struck.

It’d be all too easy to text back and forth until the lack of IRL interaction quells any hint of a flame you two had originally ignited. So don’t.

Ask her “out” on a date that even the CDC would approve of.

Jam Together Over Zoom

Are you two musically inclined?

Why not team up for a jam session via Zoom. Sure it’ll be difficult to hear her instrument and yes the acoustics will be all wrong, but hey, it’s a quality way to build a connection while social distancing.

If you’re in a city that isn’t under complete lockdown, even consider playing in a public park. Just remember to remain at least six feet from each other and not touch. Look I know covering No Diggity all alone in a public park can be hot, but keep those feels under locks until the pandemic is over.

The longer you two wait the more sexual tension will increase, which brings me to my second coronavirus date idea.

Sexy Storytelling

For at the very least three weeks, San Francisco and many other cities across the nation will be placed on shelter in place or even lockdown. No more bar-hopping, hitting a concert, or late-night booty calls. San Francisco has asked residents to only go out for “essential” reasons.

Naturally, unless you live with the person you’re having sex with, this means that many Americans far and wide will experience a decline in their sex lives. But when sex is taken off the table, people tend to get horny. Imbued with sexual frustration both men and women will begin to get creative.

As the sexual tension rises, broach the idea of sexy storytelling. Such an activity can manifest itself by way of co-writing a sexy story, sexting, or sexy video chatting.

Candlelit Dinners -Pandemic Style

We’re all looking for escapes.

Some in the form of Netflix binging, and others just want a romantic dinner at home. By way of Skype or Zoom, you can give her that romance.

Ask if your date would like to join you for a romantic, candlelit dinner, involving non-coronavirus related conversation. The goofy yet refreshing invite will surely receive a yes. To make things even more interesting, decide on a recipe that both of you will cook in your respected homes.

This will not only help form a bond despite being physically apart but will immediately give you something to talk about that isn’t COVID-19 related.

Online Games

The Guardian has published a list of the 25 best social video games to play while at home.

The list covers games that users can play on their phones as well as games that require consoles.

Some of my favorite mobile games include Mario Kart Tour, Words With Friends, and Draw Something.

If you two are gonna nerd it up and play some console-based games why not try Fortnite, A Way Out, Super Mario Party, Mario Kart, or of course, Super Smash Bros.

Kayak/Canoe

It doesn’t get much safer than paddling out into the sunset -far away from civilization- with your companion in a neighboring kayak. With the weather getting warmer but the fear of the spread of COVID-19 still all too real, it’s best to stay away from clusters. If the logistics are manageable, why not go for a ride out on the water?

Keep It Outdoorsy

While San Francisco was the first city to shelter in place its civilians, it’s likely that the rest of the country will follow suit. The city placed heavy restrictions on social hotspots around the city -closing bars and keeping restaurants open for take out and delivery only- but has also banned “nonessential travel on foot or via scooters, bicycles, cars, and public transportation is also banned — though public transit will remain open for essential travel.”

However, the city has also said that “Walking, running, taking a pet out to go to the bathroom, and hiking are still allowed, as long as people keep six feet between themselves and others.” Restrictions change at a rapid pace, so just because this was the case at the time of writing, doesn’t mean it’s still true.

That being said, for the time being outdoor activities are a go. Hiking, running, riding bikes, and other activities that you’d normally enjoy at the dawn of spring are still viable date ideas. Again, just keep a distance of 6 feet and keep your hands to yourself.

When it comes to second or third dates I’d normally recommend creating sexual tension through physical touch, but when a pandemic virus on the loose, there are exceptions.

Date Ideas For Couples

There are few winners when it comes to a pandemic.

Dogs for one receive way more attention than they did a couple of weeks ago. Owners are now home 9-5 instead of in the office.

The environment has won too. Has anyone seen the sky in Beijing recently? It’s like… blue.

The last winner is your imagination.

Your mind can only remain in a state of boredom for so long. Binging every show on Netflix might sound like a fun endeavor but it’s akin to trying to find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop. You start out with vigor, then you realize you’ve got a million better things to do. Once tickled a bit, your imagination will vomit out a list of creative romantic date ideas for you and your lady friend.

Keep in mind that these date ideas are advised for those that live together. Let’s be serious, numbers are tough to come by, but even Fauci would tell you that if someone you live with has corona you’re likely to contract it too.

With that in mind here are some date ideas during the coronavirus outbreak for you and the partner you live with to play.

Take A Freaking Walk

Odds are you two are holed up together in your apartment all day long. Fresh air is a must. Listen to the birds, take a deep breath, and take solace in the fact that you’ve got your partner by your side.

Turn Off Electronics After 7

Sure this is an amorphous date idea, but eschewing the outside world for a few hours a day will do the both of you some good. No one needs to be plugged into the news all day long. Wanna know what’s happening in the outside world? -I’ll tell ya’, there’s a freaking pandemic going down and it won’t be changing for at least a few weeks.

So turn off your phone, don’t watch the news too much, and enjoy each other. In fact, while you’re at it, make after 7 p.m. a coronavirus free time.

Scrabble Tournament

Tape a running scoreboard to the fridge because the Coronavirus Scrabble Madness has just begun!

Sure it’s not the NCAA tournament, but playing Qi for the win is kind of like hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater, right?

Couples Yoga

You and your partner have been wanting to flex it out together for years. Schedules and fatigue have always deterred you, but now, you’re out of excuses.

Throw down some mats, open a yoga Youtube video and arch that back.

These ideas don’t interest you? Then how about one of these:

-Go for a drive together,

-Cook dinner together

-Massage each other

-20 Questions

-Boardgame tournaments

-Cookie bakeoff

-Movie night

-Spring cleaning together

-30-day Minimalism game

-Soul gazing, tantra

-Virtual charades with a couple friends

-Go through old photos of when you first started dating

-Decorate together

-Bust out a 1,000 piece puzzle