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• 
  2021-03-25

  Navajo Nation casinos reopen as new virus cases dwindle

  By Donovan Quintero | Mar 25, 2021 | Business, CORONAVIRUS | CHURCH ROCK, N.M. Peterson Zah has a concern. On Tuesday, while hundreds of Fire Rock Casino patrons tried to win some money, the former Navajo Nation president wanted to hear what the COVID-19 public service announcement sounded like in Navajo. “I didn’t hear any of the PSA while inside because it’s so noisy,” he said. After taking a step outside the casino, the former Navajo Nation president said he was able to hear it. But that raised a concern for him. “And it’s pretty good,” Zah said, explaining the PSA in Navajo was clear and concise. “But you can only hear that clear outside and inside you can’t really understand it.” Zah said he was concerned no one would hear the COVID-19 safety guidelines everyone needed to follow. His other concern was that since many Navajo people have gotten both doses of the vaccines, many of them might become emboldened. “The reason why I was concerned is people have this attitude that because of the shots … they say, ‘Hey, I’m immune, I don’t have to worry about the virus.’ So when I go places I’m gonna take mine (mask) off,”’ Zah said Tuesday. According to the president’s office, more than 76,000 people have been fully vaccinated as of March 23 and more than 191,000 total doses have been administered. Zah didn’t think people should take any chances by easing up on protecting themselves from the contagious respiratory virus because some people were not wearing masks. After being closed for more than a year, Fire Rock Casino and Northern Edge Casino were on the fifth day of a two-week “soft reopening.” Just the gambling portion of the casinos were open at 25% capacity, and only Navajo Nation residents were allowed into the casinos, according to Navajo Gaming interim CEO Brian D. Parrish. Parrish clarified Navajo Nation residents meant everyone, including non-Natives, living on the reservation would have access to the casinos during the reopening phase. “We’re doing it with a two-phase reopening plan that started with Fire Rock and Northern Edge first,” he said. “We’re going to reevaluate with the Navajo Nation. They’re going to do audits and monitor our implementation of our workplace safety plan.” Of the 1,180 casino employees, 650 have returned to work since last Friday, said Parrish. Employees like Fire Rock Casino housekeeper Mildred Russell, who said she’s been out of work for over a year, were happy to be working again. “It’s been a struggle,” Russell said while cleaning a slot machine last Friday. “Hopefully this pandemic will be gone and everybody can go back to their normal lives.” Other employees, like casino security officer Vernon Keeswood from Hogback, New Mexico, shared Russell’s gratitude for getting the call to go back to work. “It’s good,” he said on Tuesday during a telephone interview that was arranged by Michele J. Crank, executive director of communications and public relations for Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise. Instead of the usual hugs and shaking hands, Keeswood said, now it was “fist bumps” and “elbow bumps.” As for the reopening, he said many Northern Edge Casino customers “are pleased and happy” the Navajo casinos have begun reopening. He added a few customers were not sure if the casinos should reopen. “I hope everyone washes their hands and practices social distancing so we open to 100 percent capacity,” Keeswood said. “I hope it opens more.” After all, the threat of another COVID-19 outbreak looms on everyone’s mind, including that of Robert Peterson from Thoreau. “People are still afraid to come here but a lot of them want to enjoy being out instead of being stuck at home,” said Peterson, who said he lives alone, last Friday. Peterson said being alone and dealing with the pandemic has been hard for him. Despite his fears, he decided to head to Fire Rock to get his mind off COVID-19. Mary E. Silversmith, 79, from Lupton, Arizona, ensured no one came to visit her with a “no visitors allowed” sign posted on her hogan. She was happy to support the casino employees who returned to work. “The casinos were opened for the casino employees,” she said on Tuesday at Fire Rock. “Many of have children and they have bills to pay. “Because of that, I am OK with the reopening,” she said. “Some people have been criticizing the reopening. Not me, I don’t think that way or talk that way.” Before the pandemic, Silversmith said she frequently ate at Fire Rock, as well as at Twin Arrows Casino and Resort, when she had extra money to spend. Silversmith was wearing a surgical mask. To gain entry into both casinos during the soft reopening, a state ID, like a driver’s license, is required and a working number at which customers can be contacted. Temperature checks were also part of the requirements for anyone wanting to enter. After their temperature was checked, security asked customers to momentarily remove their masks and look at the front entrance security camera. The purpose of collecting all of the information is for contact tracing, said Parrish. “We have an excellent plan that’s in place,” he said. “We’ve had it reviewed and modified and enhanced by public health experts, not only on Navajo, but outside the Navajo Nation.” He added that Navajo Gaming invested close to $2 million in “equipment, supplies, signage, training,” to keep everybody safe. U.S. Indian Health Service officials toured both of the casinos’ kitchens on March 12, Parrish added, to review their safety procedures. “And in terms of reopening of the other properties, especially at a higher capacity percentage, that’s going to be based not only on how well the enterprise does, but what’s happening with the public health metrics, the rate of vaccinations on Navajo and other key indicators like that,” the interim CEO said. The Navajo Gaming enterprise’s careful planning even got praise from Jordan Schermerhorn, a senior research associate at Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security. Schermerhorn stated in an email to NNGE their plan showed the tribe was leading “the entire country in a smart, careful return to normalcy.” “Combined with the Navajo Nation’s outstanding vaccine rollout, this soft reopening shows what is possible with a data-driven pandemic response in a community dedicated to public safety,” Schermerhorn‘s email said. Even the ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems, which completely re-circulate the air inside the casinos 15 times a day, were reviewed, said Parrish. “We’re ready to go to fifty percent, we’re ready to offer food and we’re ready to bring the rest of our team back,” Parrish said. Zah watched casino patrons trying to win money as sounds from the Tuesday afternoon hustle and bustle all but drowned out the COVID-19 PSA. “So basically, the attitude shouldn’t be such now that because they got their shot they don’t have to worry about it,” he said. “It’s still around. Even though ninety percent of the people may be wearing their mask, or all of them, if one of them comes in that has it, then we’re in trouble.” Zah explained a new COVID-19 variant is much smaller than the original strain, which to him was why everyone needed to double mask. “If you can see light through your mask that means it’s gonna go through,” Zah said. “We gotta start wearing two masks.” He said he intends to go on KTNN and remind everyone not to run off to Phoenix or Albuquerque just because they’ve been vaccinated. “At the same time, they still have to follow those protocols,” he said. “I want to say, ‘You gotta start wearing double masks.’” As of Tuesday night, the Navajo Nation Department of Health reported a cumulative 30,010 cases of the virus and 1,233 deaths.
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  2021-02-20

  Life Frozen, Caught in a Web, Safety Arrested

  It was an August afternoon, the sidewalks I walked were abandoned. I passed this safety light on DePaul University’s campus, which based on the spider web delicately entwined within, had not been touched in some time. A bug is trapped in the middle by a force they couldn’t see, till it was all too late. This bug and I were clearly friends. My life, like theirs, had been frozen in place. Everything I aimed to do, suspended for another time. Helpless to do anything, and worst of all, even seeking safety and refuge in friends and family, made a risk.
• 2021-02-17

  Living Like An Immunocompromised Person

  I have been living in fear of getting others sick rather than what will happen if I were to be the one to get sick. My brother is immunocompromised, so I have spent most of 2020 in my house. I have not been scared of coming back positive because I have had cousins who have been sick but have had no real issues. The reason I have lived a full year with fear and anxiety is the idea of giving the disease to my Diabetic brother. Part of the reason I came back to campus when the semester started was to get away from my brother and the fear that I could be the one to kill him. Coronavirus has made this past year one full of fear, but the main character of my fear, meaning my brother, has talked me into feeling comfortable enough to return to college. I knew people who had impaired immune systems had to watch what they did even before Covid-19 came into the picture. These days, immunocompromised individuals can barely leave their houses so I have followed the actions of my brother. If he has felt comfortable enough to return to teaching for middle schoolers and working at a camp with young children who were just learning to wear masks during the summer then I can go live on campus. I actually have a close friend in my dorm family unit who keeps me in check. My brother and my friend do a great job but sometimes, I think I stay home and away from people more than some individuals I know with compromised immune systems or pre-existing conditions that put them at risk of dying from the disease. That thought will not dissuade me from continuing with my partially-quarantined lifestyle. I am confused and hurt by those who have not even tried to protect others or change anything in their daily life. With the numbers that are currently being released in the United States and at my college, I will keep living in a way that will not increase my anxiety or the chance of my fears coming true. If my college continues to see rising positive cases, I hope we get put into a full campus lockdown or I have a little warning of being sent home so I can be tested and have a place to quarantine away from my brother. Everyone has Covid-fatigue but I will push through and stay as safe as I can. This year has taught me that when this pandemic is over, I need to live my life protecting immunocompromised people even if I do not know them. If I get a cold, I will wear a mask. I never want to be the one to blame for someone else falling sick or dying.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Canada's LGBTQ+ Community Struggles with Housing & Health (On Top of the Discrimination)

  Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ community is no stranger to discrimination. From school, to work, to finding a safe place to stay. We have heard about campuses closing due to the pandemic, and thus left many in the community to reevaluate their housing options. Some have had to return to their family home, despite some of those homes being less than accepting of them. With everyone concerned over their health, it is only right to allow everyone to feel safe where they live, too. However, this does not only affect the youth populations. The older members of the community have also been struggling with housing and healthcare. As one of the linked articles wrote, there is a lack of data collection regarding the LGBTQ+ populations. Their needs and concerns cannot be tackled with if the data were never there to begin with. It seems to go downhill from here as health concerns increase while their mental health deteriorates.
• 
  2020-12-07

  Tweet: Ontario Safety

  "In Ontario, It’s unsafe to walk outdoor hiking trails But It is safe to walk to aisles in Walmart & Costco Because science"
• 
  2020-12-08

  Advice For The Public During Covid-19

  The World Health Organization (WHO) on their website has some advice for the public on how to stay safe in general during the pandemic. Some precautions include keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into your shoulder. They also go on to explain how you should avoid the threes C’s; spaces that are closed, crowded or involve close contact. They do not suggest having gatherings indoors, if a gathering is needed the WHO recommends to meet people outside and wear your masks. In the midst of all of this they do not want you to forget the basics of good hygiene. They promote regularly washing your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or wash, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth and clean and disinfect surfaces frequently mostly those which are regularly touched. They finish off by knowing what to do if you feel unwell. They lay out the symptoms of covid-19 and tell people if they experience any of these to self isolate themselves.
• 
  2020-12-07

  Local Changes.

  With the rise of COVID infections, local stores and restaurants became cautious with their employees to flatten the curve while continuing to operate. Il Mundos pizzeria, on Huntington Avenue near Brigham Circle in Roxbury, is one of the small businesses that could not afford to stay closed or only deliver during a spike in COVID cases. Local businesses that once were so memorable to the neighborhood are forced to adapt to be safer in 2020. As places began opening back up, plexiglass barriers became commonplace in restaurants big and small, and with the addition of a ‘remember to social distance’ sign, this is the common image of what ordering food in 2020 looks like. A lot of places, like Il Mundos, do not allow customers to eat inside of the restaurant, but still allow people to grab-and-go with their food. This is the ‘new normal’ of going anywhere to get food. Some places are a bit different but everywhere has made accommodations for everyone’s safety.
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  2020-08-17

  Jewish Melbourne: NCJWA (Vic) Covid taskforce response on child safety

  Information provided by NCJWA (Vic) to provide advise to community members on ensuring child safety during pandemic times.
• 2020-11-19

  The Holidays Will Be Different This Year

  The New Mexico Department of Health, created a short video encouraging people not to gather for holidays such as Thanksgiving. It is said that large gatherings increase the odds of transmitting or getting the COVID-19 virus. The video clip shows a family gathered for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, however they are communicating through their online devices. The conversations have not changed, just they way they interact. Every year my family gathers to enjoy a meal with one another. Holidays will be differnt in 2020, we will not be gathering but we can still speak and interact online.
• 
  2020-09-01

  St. Mary's Mask Squad

  A feature story in the lifestyle section of The Rattler student newspaper is about the St. Mary’s Mask Squad, a group of student leaders from different RSOs on campus promoting safety and Marianist values. The job of the mask squad is to not only promote proper mask wearing but find ways the campus can improve on safety for its students and staff. This promotes our Marinist values by caring about other’s safety and health and making sure our actions are aimed towards protecting those around us.
• 
  2020-09-03

  St. Mary's University's Mask Squad

  St. Mary's has gathered a group of students ( the mask squad) with the purpose to promote Covid-19 safety procedures. Typically St. Marys' campus is full of smiling faces and it always busy with students running to classes or to meet with friends. Since Covid-19 St.Mary’s students have had to adjust to not seeing the campus so lively. The mask squad is currently on campus to not only remind students to wear their masks but to give the campus some life. Wearing our masks is a crucial part of keeping all those on campus safe. This email shows the efforts that the university is taking to try and promote safety and community.
• 
  2020-10-27

  Together we can protect St. Mary's University

  Together we can protect St. Mary's University! Signs like these are in place to remind students at St. Mary's University to remember the new COVID19 safety guidelines put in place to protect the university and the St. Mary's Community. The signs remind students to wear their masks, keep their social distance (about six feet), to wash their hands, to use hand sanitizing stations placed around campus for their health and safety, and to mind the direction they walk in public areas like dorm hallways or large public spaces.
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  2020-08-26

  Grandpa & Gracie

  HIST30060 I’ve missed my Grandpa terribly, but we’ve able to bond during the pandemic through a continuous email exchange concerning my dog. I’ll send him photos, and he’ll help me conspire ways to keep her safe from falling in our pool. We’ve been able to connect through our shared love of Gracie, even though we haven’t seen him or my Grandma for months. It’s been one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve had in this plague year, especially because Grandpa is mostly deaf and can’t communicate well in person. It’s interesting how technology (and Gracie!) have facilitated connection between us. For a nonagenarian, he’s probably more proficient with technology than I am!
• 
  2020-11

  Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 one Water Fountain at a Time

  This photograph was taken of a water fountain in the athletics and recreation building at St. Mary's University. The water fountains are all blocked off with signage in the building besides the fountains that allow for the placement of a water bottle beneath it to be filled, unable to directly drink from it.
• 2020-11-06

  The Faculty Perspective

  Both of my parents are teachers, one working as a fourth grade teaching assistant and the other an eighth grade math teacher/soccer coach. Though I have left home, and started my first semester of college, I have heard their rants, their grievances, and complaints regarding the ways in which the school system is "taking care" of their faculty. My mother and father are both paranoid about the coronavirus, rightfully so, however they were told they must return to the classroom to teach students in person. While there are rules and restrictions in order to carry out this plan safely, there is only so much they can do. Take my mother's fourth graders for example, they don't understand the concept of a pandemic or the need to socially distance. She must enforce rules upon these kids that they don't see as necessary and, more often than not, choose not to follow. This makes my mother, and teachers in general, feel as though their safety is not a priority and as if they are not being thought of by the school's administration. The same can be said for my father. Though his eighth graders may have a better grasp of the new restrictions, his soccer season was a mess. Socially distanced, masked, and with only three games total, it simply did not make any sense. What appears to be happening is the school is choosing to cater to students' parents' wishes, to obviously provide their children with as close to a normal schooling experience as possible; however, by doing so, they are ignoring the comfortability and safety of their teachers by placing them back in the classroom.
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  2020-07-27

  Going to College During COVID-19: Tips for College Students and Their Parents

  In this interview with infectious disease specialist Cynthia Snider and clinical psychologist David Gutterman, they outline some tips for navigating college during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair outlines important issues like wearing a mask, social distancing, and proper hygiene. This interview also touches on the anxiety and uneasy feelings both parents and students are feeling going back to a crowded campus. All in all, it’s important to listen to oneself and keep a line of open communication, as well as stay safe and stay healthy. If everyone follows these guidelines, these two experts feel that universities should be able to allow students safely.
• 
  2020-10-27

  Voting During a Global Pandemic: A Student's Experience Voting in Person

  The object is an image of my family and I after voting and holding our “I voted” stickers. The eligible voters in my household are my mother, father, younger brother, and myself. After becoming very invested in politics, my youngest brother, who is eight, got a future voter sticker for coming along. Voting, in general, is a significant task, but this year, with the presidential election, mass amounts of people were expected to vote in person and with mail-in ballots. The pandemic heavily altered what an election usually looks like. Voting in person looked very different and had additional procedures to be cautious. When we entered immediately, we were given a hand sanitizer and a disposable glove to touch the voting machines and ballot. The room setup was different as areas to walk marked off, waiting in line to check-in required voters to wait for six-feet apart from each other. The floors were marked to show directions you could walk in. The voting machines were farther apart than usual to keep everyone at a distance. It was strange to experience a COVID-19 election, especially as this has been an anticipated election for a few years now. Last year I could never have imagined voting in a mask and being given a glove to keep the voting machines clean. This year is notable for the difficult circumstances of COVID-19 and a year focusing on the historic presidential election.
• 
  2020-09-04

  Jewish Melbourne: A shabbat message from CSG

  CSG posted on facebook for Shabbat, encouraging people to keep connected at this during this time of lockdown and physical disconnection: "These times of isolation, both physical and social, and uncertainty are when it is most important that we strengthen our sense of community by connecting with and supporting each other. Remind ourselves that we can manage this much better together in solidarity and that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate – it can affect anyone. This weekend, take time to connect with others. Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom."
• 
  2020-09-23

  Jewish Melbourne: CSG shares information about cyber security

  CSG shared information on facebook about the need to be careful around cyber security during Covid-19, when more people are online: "The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has published advice on COVID-19 themed malicious cyber activity. This advice includes malicious cyber activity targeting aged care facilities, hospitals, schools, businesses and individuals. The Jewish community worldwide has also experienced countless antisemitic attacks via a range of video-conferencing platforms."
• 
  2020-08-06

  A New Passenger Seat Rider

  This August I prepared myself to drive almost 48 hours from my home to attend and work at St. Mary's University. As one may imagine there were many hoops to jump through as an international student coming to the United States during a pandemic. One of the most important aspects of my travels was to stay safe. Before leaving my family helped me put together my passenger. A box I kept in my passenger seat to be easily accessible in my fully packed hatchback. In this box, I kept sanitizing spray, hand sanitizer, a spray bottle to clean my hotel room surfaces, gloves and masks. By using the contents within the box and respecting CDC guidelines I successfully made my trip from the Great White North safely.
• 
  2020-04-23

  What grocery store workers say they’re facing during the pandemic.

  This article is important to share because although I was not a Wal-Mart employee through the pandemic, the employees interviewed in the article are relatable as the company has never been proactive and instead reactive. While I understand that no one was prepared for the pandemic, the way the employees were treated during this time was very typical to the way our store employees were treated, and still are, in situations where health is being risked for the sake of a sale. “The manager’s response, according to Hall: “Wash your hands every 15 minutes, so you don’t need a glove or a mask.” ‘She just walked away from me and started laughing, like it was funny.’ Hall said.” The article also goes on to state that it wasn’t until employees began speaking out against conditions and fear for their own safety due to the company’s lack of procedures and precautions, that they started implementing safety precautions for customers and employees.
• 
  2020-07-08

  Jewish Melbourne: Souper Kitchen's lockdown rules

  In July, as Melbourne headed into its second lockdown, Souper Kitchen provided information about how they would handle the rules about workplaces and gatherings
• 
  2020-10-26

  Signage at St. Mary's University

  These are signs from around the office of one of the campus programs. Their importance is of course that they are about social distancing and prevention against the virus. I am a member of a group at high risk to the virus. Precautions help prevent the spread of the virus, which is now at it's highest in the United States,
• 
  2020-10-22

  Adjustments to How Athletes Warm-Up

  The object is a photograph of the Auxiliary Courts in the St. Mary’s University Athletics Center. To ensure the social distancing of athletes while they warm up to enter the weight room green and red tape have been placed on the courts. The first team entering the facility in the morning will use the space around the green tape and sanitize on their way out, the second group will use the red tape area to warm up and the rotation will continue.
• 
  2020-10-08

  Essential Worker

  The object that I have uploaded reflects several aspects regarding the pandemic as it presents an implication as to the spread of Covid-19 throughout the United States, methods regarding the prevention of the transmission of Covid-19, as well as the efforts of companies, in this case Dollar General, to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. On its own, as the mask of a Dollar General Employee from Sevierville, Tennessee, the object brings with it the implication that, in the event that evidence for Covid-19’s spread within East Tennessee is lost, there was at least a concern within the Dollar General corporation regarding the spread of Covid-19 into the East Tennessee area. The object, as a photograph of a mask, also provides information about the ideas circulating at this time to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, such as the donning of a mask to cover the mouth and nose. The object also informs regarding the efforts of retail corporations, in this instance Dollar General, to curb the spread of the pandemic through their establishments and across the nation, such as providing official masks for their employees to utilize. The uploaded object is important to me because it is a reminder of the various reactions, primarily from customers, to the spread of the pandemic within a retail-based environment. Among these reactions has been the bulk purchasing of certain products once they are restocked, specifically Lysol and alcohol but toilet paper and hand sanitizer were also frequently bought in the early months of the pandemic, as well as the influx of various hand sanitizer and face mask based products to be purchased. Aside from what items are frequently purchased, the customers of the store also react frequently to the implementation of face masks within the store as many comment on their lack of comfort while a minority speak positively about their benefit in preventing the spread of Covid-19, though the majority of customers make no comment at all regarding face masks.
• 2020-04-15

  Bay Area health care workers want more transparency about on-the-job coronavirus exposure

  In 2020, there are a lot of secrets that are being kept from health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health workers have emphasized that they want to be immediately notified when they have come in contact with the coronavirus by patients, so they are able to get tested and stay safe away from others. However, many of them have not been notified- and that resulted them into testing positive for the coronavirus. This is extremely important to talk about because without health care workers, the pandemic would be much more out of control than how it is now. They put their lives at risk to help patients who have the coronavirus. If more and more workers are in the dark to whether a patient they have worked with has COVID, then there were be less health care workers available at hospitals for assistance.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Jewish Melbourne: Australian Jewish community management of COVID-19 pandemic – National Bulletin #3

  In the lead-up to Pesach, this update provides a summary of "the current status of Jewish community life in each State and Territory". It begins: "Jewish community organisations and leaders across Australia continue their efforts to manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jewish institutions, families, individuals and, most especially, the elderly and vulnerable. We recognise with deep appreciation the continuing work being done by the Jewish community roof bodies in each State, the Crisis Management Teams of the Community Security Groups, shules, the Day Schools, the aged care sector, the welfare sector and volunteers, and commend them for the high sense of responsibility they have demonstrated. With the approach of Pesach, when families typically gather to celebrate the Seder, many individuals and families will be feeling the effects of physical isolation from relatives and friends. Perhaps in the future we will look back upon these times and appreciate all the more the joy of being able to celebrate Pesach with family and friends, and have all the more compassion for those who have nowhere to go on Seder night, and are all alone."
• 2020-05-10

  Native artists lend skills to COVID-19 campaigns

  his article posted by Indian Country Today about Indigenous artists that are infusing their work with important health, safety messages as the pandemic hits some tribal communities particularly hard. The pandemic has hit the Native American community particularly hard, yet we hear very little about it in the media. Native American artists are taking it upon themselves to send messages of hope and safety.
• 
  2020-08-31

  Mask bin

  Note the overflowing mask bowl next to the car keys and hand sanitizer. This illustrates the new protocol for leaving the house, which now means grabbing a mask as well as your phone and car keys. To me, this speaks volumes about the way the pandemic has affected daily life and our routines and what we consider “normal” to be
• 
  2020-04-25

  Did Cruise Companies Act too Late?

  All it took was one passenger who disembarked a week before others began to fall ill, to quarantine all passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess by February 4th. Given the dire nature of these outbreaks, many have asked – did the cruise companies act too late? This Washington Post article outlines the experiences of the Celebrity Eclipse and Coral Princess, where before passengers could disembark, the two ships reported 150 Covid-19 cases and six deaths in April. At the time the article was written, the cruise industry reported outbreaks on 55 ships in waters across the globe and 65 deaths among passengers and crew. The article alleges that the industry failed to recognize the signs and symptoms of Covid-19, which later were confirmed as positive cases. Further concerning allegations from the article claim that cruise ships brought Covid-19 to ports and cities around the globe that were otherwise virus-free, where many places lacked the infrastructure to handle large-scale outbreaks.
• 
  2020-08-07

  CDC Rates Cruise Ships for Sanitation and Cleanliness

  Cruise ships are bustling cities. Lido decks are a din of conversation over food, and while most cruise ships suspended buffets years ago, passengers still share access to, among others, refillable water stations, cookie baskets, and salt and pepper shakers. Tables are close together and guests stand closely in line. While hand sanitizer stations are dotted throughout common areas, cruise ships with so many people in such close quarters, are difficult places to prevent the spread of aerosol, airborne virus’ like Covid-19. Now that cruise ships, and world health organizations, have had time to assess the risk they are developing new protocols to help making cruising possible again when it is safe to do so. The United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Vessel Sanitation Program, which is now shifting to include Covid-19 health protocols. Ships receive a surprise inspection from the CDC where they evaluate the following areas: medial facilities, potable water systems, swimming pools and whirlpool spas, galleys and dining rooms, child activity centers, hotel accommodations, ventilation systems, and common areas of the ship. At The Points Guy blog, they outline how the program works and how future cruisers can use the CDC data to inform the health and safety of their future vacation.
• 
  2020-06-01

  Precautions at Retail Shops Related to Covid-19

  This image shows what precautions retail stores are taking relating to the corona virus. Though I found this picture on the internet, I have also experienced going to the stores and seeing how they have changed because of Covid-19. For example, when I walked into the store, the employees were keeping track of how many people were in the store at a time and limiting the max occupancy. After waiting in line outside, they provided hand sanitizer before I could enter. There was a sign similar to the one in the picture that explained what they were doing to protect their customers, such as requiring masks and marking places to stand throughout the store to make sure I was social distancing. This image outlines the extremities of the pandemic and how stores are taking measures to ensure their customers are safe.
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  2020-08-16

  The Hottest New Accessory

  Masks. In the span of just a few weeks, I went from never having worn one before to wearing one nearly every day. As a person with several autoimmune diseases, COVID-19 poses an existential threat to my health. Masks are not just about being allowed in a grocery store, or avoiding the ridicule of others; they are a matter of survival. I have now amassed quite the collection, partly out of convenience- I never want to find myself without a clean one- and partly out of fear. We are now in the fifth month of COVID restrictions, with a distinct possibility of another five or more to come. What if there is another PPE shortage? What if I become too sick to sew my own? So dutifully I collect, buying and making and sharing, just in case. Written by Meghan E. Donahue, incoming junior at Suffolk University.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Menards Covid-19 guidelines

  Menards is a home improvement store that primarily serves the Midwestern United States and has headquarters in Eau Claire, WI. Menards has mandated masks to enter the store since April. The representative in this image screened customers for heightened temperatures.
• 
  2020-07-26

  Pandemic Pods? The Return of Schooling in America

  This pandemic has opened the eyes of millions of Americans, including mine, when it came to questioning the necessity of a traditional schooling system. The bridge between political parties reflects various differing opinions on what parents feel the best way to re-enroll back their kids into school. The article I found interested me as it mentioned that families are looking into the idea of creating small groups with local children called “pods” which would help [pay for private tutors or teachers. However this method may require paying thousands of dollars in order to fund tutors to teach these localized groups of students. It is still unsafe in many institutions which thousands of children pass by one another on a daily basis which could lead to mass spread of the virus if even a couple of students have contracted the virus. This article reflects the outcome of an already declining school system affected with a worldwide pandemic. This article gives us a way of looking at how people are affected by and making alternatives to a failing and problematic system of education due to current health safety requirements. This post makes me question whether to innovate or destroy the system? Everything seems to be fluid and unpredictable due to the varying status of the nation day to day. Makes me question, who is responsible for the safety of students and children to be upheld? How does one monitor the level of safety and how will well being be ensured?
• 
  2020-06-12

  CDC and Protests

  With the eruption of protests after the death of George Floyd, coronavirus did not take a break. It is still a primary health concern, but has taken a backseat to racism and systemic oppression that is afflicting the U.S. In this article, the CDC is urging social gatherings that are for protests to follow a certain set of guidelines. The twitter user points out the hypocrisy present in both the lack of discussion on the President's proposed politcal gatherings, as well as the lack of recommendations when individuals were protesting to reopen the country
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  2020-05-31

  Chicago Restaurant Workers Take Extra Covid-19 Precautions

  Food workers and restaurants are a part of our communities. They rely on customers from the community and often live in the communities they serve. Making sure that customers are safe is a huge part of the job and as these Chicago food workers showed, they will not wait for mandates to put safety measures in place to protect workers and customers alike. Submitted by Stephanie Berry, curatorial intern for Arizona State University, HST 580.