Items
topic_interest is exactly
mask
-
2021-07-23
First Race in a Pandemic World
Terrified, I put on my shoes and walked over to the canyon. I’m always nervous before a race - where will I place? What if I can’t finish? It’s adrenaline talking. This time, it was different. For the first time since early 2020, I was competing in a race, outside, with other people. When I signed up, the case count was the lowest it had been since the original shut down. I was nervous, but excited. Then Delta exploded. As the numbers climbed, I tried running with a mask that week. Two days before the race, I made it 3 miles and had to take it off. This was the Hot and Hilly 10K I was prepping for. It’s over 90 degrees and the course is all hills. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do the mask the whole time. I also knew the course had narrow parts, wide enough for only one runner. What happened if I got in a group? Was being outside enough to dissipate the virus, like current advice suggests? Or is Delta more potent? And is there a difference between standing outside unmasked and running full speed unmasked in a group of other people roughly and heavily drawing air in and out? As I waited for the gun, I wore my mask. I was the only one and that didn’t bother me. In fact, I was a little self conscious that I would be judged but I think everyone was just focused on the trail. When the race began, there was a natural small bottleneck. I left my mask on. About a mile in, I had to take it off. Luckily, the crowd had thinned. Since I am not an elite runner, I wasn’t doing the 7 minute miles of the head of the pack. On the flip, I also am not slow. I was able to find a sweet spot where I could see the front of the pack in the distance, but was far enough ahead of the average runners that I was not in a crowd. Overall, it was amazing to be racing again. I love competition. For over a year, I ran only on the treadmill. There was part of me that wondered if my ability have disappeared during the quarantine. I came in 4th place in my division and am beyond excited with that placement. I also was relieved knowing I was done with the crowds for the day. I spent two weeks secretly nervous I contracted COVID and am happy to report that the vaccine seems to have worked for me. I have another race scheduled for October and am already feeling nervous. Our hospitalization rate has shot to nearly 500 and the ICU is two away from 100. Will my next race being outdoors be enough to protect my family, especially my two unvaccinated kids at home? Will my vaccine even still be effective by October? My second shot will have been administered seven months prior at that point. -
2021-08-06
New Normal
We didn’t leave the house for a year. Not exaggerating. Search my name in this archive, you will see we didn’t leave the house, nor was anyone allowed inside. However, when cases dropped this spring, we began to venture outside, albeit with masks. Now with cases on the rise, it becomes such a difficult choice. The adults are vaccinated, so we should (hopefully) be semi protected. But the kids aren’t. But do we want to lock them inside for another 18 months? Obviously not. So we’re trying to embrace a new normal. We still haven’t gone to any home get togethers - too dangerous with Delta, but we are carefully enjoying the outdoors. The zoo is all outdoors and spread out, so that has been feasible. Disneyland has been replaced by the beach, which we’re very lucky to live so close to. The beach isn’t scary - there’s plenty of room to spread out. But what do you do when your former teacher and current co worker who adores your kids invites you to school to share in a tennis picnic? My kids LOVE “gung gung” (Chinese for grandpa), and he loves teaching them tennis (he’s been the tennis coach for almost 30 years). There is no one size fits all answer. I decided because he was vaccinated, the event was completely outdoors, most of the tennis players are vaxxed and my kids could wear their masks that the risk was worth it. And it was, they had a great afternoon. So this is the new normal. Weighing the risks and making decisions that 18 months ago never would have been given a second thought. -
2021-08-11
There is No Good Decision
My daughter is very athletic. I don’t make that statement lightly. I do not lie and I will look you in the eye and tell you my son is not an athlete. But my daughter was born with a natural ability for sports. Anything she tries, even recreationally, she excels at. When she was 3, she began gymnastics and in first grade, she joined the competitive team. It’s not just that she’s athletic, she works extremely hard. So making her sit out an entire season due to COVID was not an easy decision. I do not regret it, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard. When this season began in May, we cautiously allowed her to return, fully masked. The cases were down and the coaches wore masks. We decided the risk was worth it for her mental health. Then the COVID restrictions were lifted June 15. My daughter became the only one in the full gym with a mask. We hoped for the best and have been lucky so far. But the cases are exploding. They are higher now than this time last year. What do we do? All her friends are from the gym. Truly. She doesn’t have any close friends at school because most of her time is spent at the gym. Can we take that away from her again? She worked out every single day of quarantine to stay in shape and she did. Can we look at her and basically say her work was for nothing? There is no good choice. What is more important? Protecting her physically or giving her the part of her life that secures her mental health? At the end of last week, I was seriously considering pulling her as the daily cases rose to 1,000+. However, in a move that shocked me knowing the clientele and position of the gym on this entire pandemic, even her gym has reinstated masks for all coaches. This made me feel maybe 5% better. Her one on one session is also from 8 - 9pm, which I was bummed at at first - so late for a kid! But I quickly realized we’re the only ones in the gym that late, which lowers my anxiety a bit. So we’re going to take the risk for now and allow her to continue going. I just hope it’s not a decision we regret. -
2021-08-11
Exposure to covid in the classroom
I came across this conversation on a neighborhood app (Nextdoor) of a grandmother pleading for masks and vaccines after learning that one of her grandchildren was exposed to the virus in the classroom. I added a bit of the thread as well to show the different opinions on the matter. -
2021-08-10
Mask Required for Service
Signs have become so common these days that I often catch myself making sure if a business requires masks or prefers customers not to (I've seen those too). I take an extra moment to enjoy personalized signs like these. I love the solutions to the dumb questions at the end. If everyone would just wear a mask I wonder how low our numbers would be. My favorite part is the last sentence of the paragraph "Do not choose to be the reason the rest of the world is laughing at us." -
2021-07-28
Public Safety Alert
I always get a reality check of how different Arizona is handling the pandemic when I visit my family in California. Life has been back to "normal" here in Arizona for a while now. Masks are rarely seen, the number counts are not reported as much and coverage of vaccination sites is rare. In California, it is obvious that life has not yet returned to normal. There is no distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated, since no one is allowed to ask, everyone is asked to still wear masks. I was surprised to get this public safety alert while at my cousin's house last week. I feel like it was a reminder that life shouldn't be "normal" that we are still living through a pandemic and the storm has not yet passed. I wonder how people in Arizona would react to public safety messages like this one. -
2021-07-30
Mask up!
My cousins shared this adorable picture of her masked dog on social media. Although masks are a thing of the past here in Arizona, they are still very much used in Los Angeles. People here in Arizona are dreading the idea of having to put them back on and in Los Angeles people are almost glad that they never really let them go. -
2021-08-05
Wetzel's Pretzel doing their part
I snapped this picture at the mall today. Most of the signs that I've seen around the valley just say that masks are no longer required if people are vaccinated but of course, no one is allowed to ask for a vaccination card so no one can ever be sure. This sign however states that by approaching the register without a mask you are attesting that you have been vaccinated. I really liked the wording of this sign because it makes the customer think about the responsibility they alone hold on being careful regardless of their vaccination status. -
2021-08-04
SUNY Brockport reinstates mask mandate
Today, my college, SUNY Brockport reinstated the mask mandate, now requiring all individuals on campus to wear masks again. I am sure many have mixed feelings about this. I want to protect myself and my community by I am soooo over wearing masks. -
2021-07-19T11:44
Program Office Mask Sign
This is a photo I took of a sign found on the inside of the door into the top (second) floor of the program office reminding Scouts and Scouters to wear a mask while in the building. The sign reads "Please remember to wear your mask in the P.O. Thanks for keeping camp safe!!!!", and has the Camp Wolfeboro logo on it. The photo was taken on July 19 at 11:44 AM. -
2021-07-22T09:50
Flag Area Mask Trash
This is a littered mask I found just several dozen feet east of the flag area and the program office at Camp Wolfeboro. I had just finished my Forestry merit badge session on the Tuolumne County side of camp, when I crossed the river to head to my Shotgun Shooting merit badge session at 10:00 AM. On the way to the range, I found a mask laying on the ground. I was a bit baffled as to how this mask was still here, because dozens of people had to have walked by it that morning already, whether going to or from a merit badge class or heading back to their campsite. The mask is extremely obvious, so anyone who walked here would have seen it. The photo was taken at 9:50 AM on Thursday, July 22, 2021. -
2021-07-23T15:31
Shotgun Range Mask Trash
In addition to finding mask trash at my campsite and in the common areas that Scouts and Scouters (adults in Scouting) walk through, I also found mask trash at program areas (meaning areas where merit badge sessions and other Scouting activities take place), like the shotgun range. Like the other photos, I picked up the mask after I took the photo. I am not as disappointed about this littered mask as I am about the others because it was in a fairly hidden location under a bench and I think most people at the range wouldn't have seen it. The photo was taken at 3:31 PM on Friday, July 23, 2021. -
2021-07-19T06:58
Boucke Mask Trash
This is a photo I took of a mask littered on the ground at the Boucke campsite at Camp Wolfeboro. This is the campsite where my troop, Troop 834, stayed during the fifth week of camp, when I took the photo. I picked up the mask and threw it away after I took the photo, and I hope it wasn't anyone from our troop who forgot to pick up their garbage. I find it interesting that the pandemic prevented most human activity from taking place at the camp in 2020 and now that people have returned there are new types of trash. The photo was taken at 6:58 AM on Monday, July 19, 2021. -
07/25/2021
Lauren Pease Oral History, 2021/07/25
Ashley Tibollo interviewed stay-at-home mom, Lauren Pease about her experience with the Covid-19 pandemic. In this interview, they discuss her experience with the lockdown, her worries about the pandemic, and what life was like during lockdown with her foster child. This interview also touches on political protests, virtual learning and her husband's transition to working from home. -
2021-07-24
Joseph Dopkin, Oral History 2021/07/24
Ashley Tibollo sits down with Joseph John Dobkin to discuss how his life has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this interview his discusses how his life at school as a University student has changed. He also discusses how the dynamics in his dorm room and life at home with his family were impacted. At the end of this interview Dobkin touches on political topics, his views on how the pandemic was handled by local and state governments. He also discusses his views on both anti-mask and BLM protests. -
2021-07-24
Janine Brown. Oral History, July 24, 2021
In this two-part interview, Ashley Tibollo interviews Janine Brown on how her life was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first part of the interview, Brown discusses how her last year of college was impacted and about her transition to remote teaching. She discusses her fears of the Delta variant, what sources she uses to get her information and what her feelings are regarding government action. She also discusses family life and how she was affected by the quarantine. She ends this part with her hopes for the future. In the second part of this interview, Brown discusses her decision to move in with her boyfriend right before quarantine and what it was life navigating a new relationship amidst a pandemic. She also discusses her pets and how their moods changed as her life changed. She discusses the difficulties of house hunting and the ways that the pandemic has affected the market. -
2020-12-14
Recommendations for Tribal Ceremonies and Gatherings During the COVID-19 Outbreak
These are COVID-19 recommendations from the CDC specifically addressing tribal ceremonies such as sweat lodge, social gatherings and seasonal ceremonies. -
2021-07-16
Arizona governor says schools can't force unvaccinated students to quarantine if they're exposed to Covid-19
This CNN article discusses a recent letter sent out by Gov. Doug Ducey's education adviser, that said requiring unvaccinated students to quarantine after a COVID exposure is against state law because Arizona does not require students to be vaccinated or wear face masks. I am from NYS and this is drastically different than what Gov. Andrew Cuomo is requiring and/or recommending for students in public schools and state universities. It is bizarre how different states and governors are handling the COVID and vaccination situation. -
2021-02-01
Why is Arizona worst for COVID-19 nationwide? Here are 7 contributing reasons
This article discusses why Arizona's Covid rate was the highest in the country as of February 1, 2021. Contributing factors included a lack of mask-wearing and cross-border traffic. -
2021-07-15
Dr. Marissa Rhodes, Oral History, July 15, 2021
Curator for the JOPTY program, Angelica S Ramos interviews mother of three, Dr. Marissa Rhodes. In this interview she discusses her role as a professor and how COVID-19 halted all the plans she had for her classes. She also discusses her pregnancy with her third baby and the struggles that came with prenatal care and birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Rhodes also relates her birthing experience and how different the pandemic made it from her first two pregnancies; she discusses the complications that she faced and the stresses she dealt with. Dr. Rhodes also discusses how her social life was impacted and the struggle to find a balance between work, children, virtual-learning and a new baby. Lastly, she reflects on her personal silver lining and the lessons that she hopes will be learned from this experience. -
2021-07-09
Charlotte Tibollo Oral History, 2021/07/09
Mother interviewing 5 year old daughter about the pandemic. -
07/08/2021
Collett Hall Oral History, 2021/07/08
Collett Hall talks about her fears about her daughter getting the virus, her system for obtaining groceries, and her experiences working as a special education teacher. -
2021-06-28
My Pandemic Experience
When the pandemic was coming, I was initially relieved. I was supposed to fly to Chicago to visit my sister and go to our favorite band’s (Keane) concert, but as a person with anxiety and panic disorder who is terrified of airplanes and crowds it allowed me to back out. The concert was cancelled. It was the excuse I needed to back out without shame or blame. It seems silly now, but at the time covid seemed more like a bad cold or flu to me. It seemed like another Swine Flu or Avian Flu or other scare in recent memory which hadn’t amounted to a plague style pandemic. Lockdown was even kind of nice at first. My husband, daughter, and I got to spend a lot of family time together. I had taught ESL online for a number of years previously, so converting my in school classes to online was easy. I had no problems teaching over Zoom. I’m a homebody anyway, by habit and by anxiety, so this was great… until the body count started. I was horrified and sickened to hear about the freezer containers being used in New York City to store the overflow of bodies. The germaphobia that had plagued me in childhood, that I had gone to years of therapy to overcome, came roaring back with a vengeance. Like everyone else, I went to the grocery store to stock up so I wouldn’t have to leave me house for awhile, only to find shelf after shelf empty. As a super health conscious, organic, vegan my choices were extremely limited. My husband and daughter aren’t vegan, but they do eat only organic, which became impossible. Soap, disinfectant, cleaners, and hand sanitizers were nowhere to be found. At a time when it was so important to be as clean and healthy as possible all those modern conveniences were utterly gone. I felt helpless. I imagined that people living during pandemics like the bubonic plague and Spanish flu must have felt similarly. After a couple of weeks, quarantine started to feel more like a claustrophobic prison sentence than a family vacation. I missed my sister, my parents, my friends, my colleagues, and my students. On my birthday and Easter I just had to wave at my parents through the glass door. My favorite hobby- taekwondo, which I had started in order to relieve stress and help with my anxiety was taken from me. I had to do the classes online from my living room, which was nearly impossible. I felt trapped. A raging epidemic across the planet from which there was no escape. If I spent too much time thinking about it, I would start to feel the claw of panic. By the time summer arrived I was at breaking point. Luckily with summer we had some reprieve. Case loads declined, and I started meeting my best friend outside. We socially distanced ourselves and wore masks, but we were together and that was a start. By the end of summer she and her boyfriend were on our “quaranteam” that is we decided we could see each other since we weren’t seeing anyone else. In the fall school started. Since I teach at a Catholic school we were able to have school in person full time, though we had students in every grade who opted to go remote. But my bestie and I were back in the building with most of the kids, and I started to feel less trapped. I was going to stores masked and my daughter was also in school. But as soon as Thanksgiving hit everything changed again. So many people ignored all of the recommendations and restrictions and got together with family and friends. It made me so angry that people were so careless. A friend of mine had a large family in Pennsylvania who all got together for Thanksgiving. She didn’t go because she thought it was reckless. 8 out of 14 people at the family dinner got covid and 2 of them died. Then at Christmas, my great uncle passed. No funeral. No wake. Nothing. Schools shut down again. We were trapped. Then the vaccines came. It was nearly impossible to get one for a long time even if you were eligible. Slots filled as fast as they were posted. You needed to present a lot of proof of eligibility in order to get one. As a teacher, I was able to get mine earlier than many others. I got the Moderna. The first shot made me feel a little sick for a few hours, but with the second I had a fever of 103.5, aches, chills, nausea for 12 hours and a general malaise for 3 days. A friend of mine in taekwondo, who has some autoimmune problems, had a severe reaction after her first Moderna vaccine. She has had side effects for a few months now that are not going away. She has dizzy spells and heart palpitations regularly. She is undergoing testing and being monitored by the CDC. Despite some horror stories, the vaccine is still the absolute best thing that we could have hoped for. I would like my daughter to get it as soon as they open it to the under 12 population. A lot of people won’t get the vaccine because they are in the “Science is fake, I’m a Trump supporter” camp. In my opinion, Trump’s misinformation and mishandling of the pandemic cost tens of thousands of American lives, and his diversive legacy is going to cost us dearly for many years to come. It is now June again. School just finished. New York State is allowing people to enter buildings unmasked if they are vaccinated, but few people are actually requiring any proof. Given that the people with a cavalier attitude toward wearing masks are many of the same people who are against getting vaccinated, an honors system policy towards wearing masks is really just a no-mask policy. It is very frustrating to me that people can’t just deal with masks for a while longer to fully insure this disease’s eradication before we have another relapse and find ourselves back in quarantine again. -
2020-05-22
Pet Adoption Protocol During the Pandemic - A Purr-fect Fit Animal Rescue
This is a social media post from A Purr-fect Fit Animal Rescue in Buffalo, New York explaining their covid procedure to potential adopters. -
2021-06-23
The mask
Walking into the Store, looking around, oh no! I forgot my mask :/ -every person going into a store -
2021-04-14
The Pandemic on Campus
As we have rounded the corner of the one year mark for the COVID-19 pandemic, many still wonder when it well end. Now that vaccines have begun to roll out hopes feel higher for some and thanks to the use of mask, the spread of COVID-19 has been limited in many places as well. The sign pictured is one that Flagler College students know too well and it thanks those that pass by for their efforts in helping prevent the spread on campus. Along with these lawn signs as well as text or email notifications, Flagler students are able to be aware of conditions on campus such as moving into Phase Two or the available vaccines on campus. -
2021-06-12
Mask trash Golden Gate Bridge Park
Several disposable masks littered the grounds around the Golden Gate Bridge Park on the north end of the bridge. This photo shows a blue disposable mask near a lookout. -
2021-06-12
Mask trash San Francisco
While visiting the Golden State Bridge, I came across this blue fabric mask with a penguin print. -
2020-03-18
How Will COVID-19 Change the World? Historian Frank Snowden on Epidemics From the Black Death to Now
This video is an interview the Democracy Now did with Frank Snowden, Professor Emeritus at Yale University early on in the pandemic (March 18, 2020). Dr. Snowden specializes in the history of epidemic diseases and the history of modern Italy. His father was the first African American ambassador to Italy. At the time of the interview, Dr. Snowden was in lockdown in Rome, Italy. He had gone there to research another project when the pandemic hit, so he changed his focus to studying covid-19. He contracted the disease himself, but was lucky enough to live through it. I was particularly interested in Dr. Snowden's views on the pandemic since I had watched his Yale lecture series on epidemics available on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3AE7B3B6917DE8E6) which was incredible in its thorough exploration of some of the worlds worst outbreaks. In the interview he states that an early modern Florentine would recognize a lot of governments' actions to combat covid-19 as very similar to those used by the Italian city-states and elsewhere in Europe to combat bubonic plague, especially the concept of quarantine. He also addresses the startling commonality between anti-Semitism during the first several plague outbreaks to the Sinophobia and xenophobia seen during our current pandemic. The interviewer also brings up a great question about the possibility of fascism arising out of strict government measures to combat disease. I was particularly curious to hear Dr. Snowden's response in light of the protests in the United States against quarantine and mask-wearing. He acknowledged that while it could be one outcome, it is not the only nor the most probable possibility. Many governments have voluntarily ended their strict measures during pandemics without devolving into fascist states. Now that the pandemic is, it seems, waning I believe it is abundantly clear that those Americans who feared that their freedoms were threatened by historically proven practices were both selfish and foolish. They and our ineffective and dangerous leadership cause the United States to become a hotbed for Covid-19, while other countries who swiftly enacted and enforced lockdown measures and mask mandates, such as New Zealand and Italy, recovered much more quickly. I contend that Donald Trump and his sheep are responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths. -
2020-05
Mask With Take-Out
How has Covid-19 changed your daily life? The virus has made me stay in the house and keep myself occupied. Cooking, eating, cleaning, walking, sewing. I have a running list and tackle a few things each day. Clean out the garage, vacuum the furniture, detail the bathroom, sew some masks. I'm still working, thankfully, but that is slow also. Cleaning out files and other things. The picture I am sending is dessert from Green Papaya. Free mask with meal. How is your neighborhood and/or social circle responding to the crisis? Lots of people are out walking. Superhero parade for the kids while staying six feet apart. Watching in horror as some people crowd up in their driveways. How has Covid-19 impacted your perspective of St. Augustine? Makes me sad to see such an empty downtown but at least people are walking around making the most of it. I love that the restaurants are stepping up and offering discounts, even on margaritas! Certainly gives you a new perspective. Even though the city was getting crowded with all the new construction, still miss the people. How has Covid-19 impacted your use of social media? Lots of time spent on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Must know what's going on in my town, my state, my country, and my world. What practices have you implemented to mitigate the impact of social distancing on your mental health? I keep regular appointments with my therapist. March was in person but April was telehealth. Weird at first but then OK. Very thankful I get to "see" her. Also making sure my dad and others around me know they are not alone. We are all in this together. Keep busy, make a to-do list - making sure friends and family know to keep busy and it won't be so bad. -
2020-05
Masked Visitors
How has Covid-19 changed your daily life? My husband and I moved here in 2014 so I could volunteer with the city archaeologist, Carl Halbirt, and I have been doing that most every day since then. We have two new archaeologists now, but volunteers aren’t allowed until the virus social distancing is lifted. In November my husband died and after a short hiatus from volunteering I started again. Now, I am in my house with my dog every day. I miss being with people. Even our church is doing online services now. On Easter the priest printed large photos of many of our congregation and taped them to the pews, so it looks like we were in church. I saw myself, and right where I usually sit! How is your neighborhood and/or social circle responding to the crisis? My neighbors are all staying home like I am except for a few Flagler students who went to their parents homes. Some are furloughed, others are working from home. Since I’m retired, I’m just missing my volunteer work. Several of my friends and I have a group text several times a week so we can keep up with each other. My Community Hospice social worker is staying in touch with each of our grief support group members by phone, and several of us have exchanged phone numbers so we talk occasionally. The Tolomato Cemetery group is planning a Zoom visit on the third Saturday, which is the day we have the cemetery open for visitors. It will be my first Zoom conversation. I’m looking forward to that. My church, St. Cyprian’s is open each day for individual prayer and the commons and labyrinth are open as well for anyone who wants to pray or just sit in a peaceful place. How has Covid impacted your perspective of St. Augustine? I am happy that our city leaders have been proactive in closing so many businesses. I feel so sorry for the small business owners and workers who have lost their jobs, and I hope when the danger has passed we can get to a new normal. I don’t thing everything will be the same. I am hopeful the city will be able to help the businesses and workers with tax relief or some other means. I am proud of the way the police and firefighters are connecting with us by social media. How has Covid-19 impacted your use of social media? I’ve used it much more to keep up with friends near and far. I have also been using FaceTime with my daughter and son who live in other cities. I’ve been using Shipt to order my groceries for delivery to my house. What practices have you implemented to mitigate the impact of social distancing on your mental health? I’ve tried to make a small list of things I want to accomplish each day, but if I don’t finish it, I don’t beat myself up about it. It helps to keep me from sitting around watching mind numbing Hallmark movies. I’ve tried to walk most evenings around my neighborhood, just to be outside. I am reading books and doing jigsaw puzzles as well. I’ve cleaned/organized several cedar chests and drawers and I am working on bookshelves now. I am also writing a Corona Virus Journal describing my feelings (and there have so many emotional times during this quarantine) and making note of things I’m doing and friends I am talking with. It’s on my computer and I have no idea what I will do with it, but maybe my children will read it someday and maybe I will too. -
2020-06-15
Maple Street Biscuit Co.
Maple Street Biscuit Co restaurant located in downtown Saint Augustine, FL. Several signs posted on the front doors read: "Dear Guests, Your safety is our top priority. If you have any of the following symptoms, we ask that you do not enter: Fever, Cough." Another sign read: "We ask you please wear a face mask upon entering our community store." A sign that sits on the counter by the register read: "Out of respect for other guests and our team, please do not reach behind our counter." Brief interview with Community Leader (Store Manager) Emilee O'Kelley: What Plan did you come up with to ensure the safety of your guests and employees? It is actually not my plan. The plan was implemented by corporate and distributed to all locations. In the beginning of lockdown, we tried to do as much to ensure that we could keep our stores up and running. First, we shut down our dining rooms. We made everything to go and third-party delivery. We went down to a limited menu. And we opened a community store where people could buy pasta, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, soap, paper towels and produce to ensure that our community was taken care of as well. Right now our dining room is back open to 50 percent capacity in compliance with Florida guidelines. All of the tables are 6 feet away from each other and were taking extra precautions by making sure all of team members are wearing masks. We offer guests plastic cutlery. We stopped operating self-serve stations and now a team member assists guests. Do your employees currently receive hazard pay? No How has your business operations or income changed since COVID and quarantine? Income definitely. We were used to doing $2000-dollar weekdays and $6000-dollar weekends and during quarantine we were only making max 600 dollars a day. With the travel ban lifted we have slowly gotten back to normal operations, but it is still not the same. Did you implement curbside takeout? How did that transition go? We did not advertise curbside takeout, but if they called and asked us to bring it out to their car, we would. We mostly shifted in a way to make our guests as comfortable as possible while following our corporate guidelines. Have you had any issues with customers since the implementation of new guidelines, specifically the mask mandate? No, because our store does not strictly require a mask mandate. We politely ask that our customers wear a mask, but they will not refuse service. Are your employees allowed to ask customers to wear a mask? No -
2021-06-03
A Pet Emergency During the Pandemic
The story describes the difficulties of dealing with emergencies during the pandemic time and how social isolation negatively affects one's ability to weather these emergencies. -
2021-05-23
masks on masks on masks
A few weeks ago masks were everywhere. They were required for everything. At first it was frustrating, not because I was opposed to wearing a mask but simply because I would always forget to bring one. Slowly my car collection grew. I now carry one for everyone in my family and a few just in case. Looking down as I drive now, fully vaccinated and no longer needed them for entry in most places, I wonder what will happen to all these masks. -
2021-05-30
After 419 Days, I Took Holy Communion
I have a very deep faith. As someone extremely liberal and inclusive, I certainly do not fit the stereotype of an American Christian, and honestly, thank goodness, because I do NOT want to be associated with that. But my faith is a very large part of my identity. Though I may not vocalize it, it grounds my decisions and my approach to life. Going to church is never a chore for me, I love it. So when we had to abruptly stop attending in person in March of 2020 it was a radical change in our lives. We still logged into the streaming of the service and have hosted a mid week Bible study over Zoom every single week since the initial shutdown. But there is something about being together to hear the message, to sing, to pray. Being able to return to church in person safely has been something I’ve been praying for. It’s been a month now, we’re opting to sit outside - the inside is open, but we’re not quite ready to be indoors until more people are vaccinated or at least until our kids can be. Seeing people we haven’t seen in person for over a year almost brought me to tears our first week back and I am not a person who cries. It just felt like a relief to be home, so to speak. There are some interesting changes. No hugs or kisses at greeting, everyone stands and waves to each other. Everyone sits by household, spaced apart. And everyone wears masks. Instead of coffee and donuts there is a table with pre packaged snacks. Everyone has to sanitize their hands and have their temperature taken. There were also far fewer people than before COVID. The best part of service for me though is taking holy communion. On our first Sunday back, it had been 419 days since my last communion. Communion is such a personal part of my faith, and a time of deep reflection and thankfulness. And I am so very thankful to be back and pray that things remain safe so we can continue to meet together. -
2021-01-29
Pizzalley's Chianti
Signs could be found outside Pizzalley's Chianti Room showcasing the current emphasis on mask-wearing after the events of the Covid-19 Pandemic. -
2021-01-30
Local McDonald's Reminder of Mask Policy
Signs such as this one found in a local McDonalds have become commonplace during the pandemic. -
2021-05-26
The microscopic tick
A mask is like a microscopic tick We can't see it, but we can feel it, ick As I peel (the microscopic tick) off my face I'm repulsed I declare an appeal, “senit!” the microscopic tick has succeeded in form of fear It's won the battle Yet Covid is still here As I look on the ground (all around) the microscopic ticks are swarming in the air the dirty masks lay there… Breathless, weightless, thoughtless, penniless with an unconscious stare microscopic tick! -
2021-05-20
Mask trash #35
On Saturday, May 15, 2021, Walt Disney lifted the mask requirement in outdoor spaces. Masks were still required to stand in line or go into stores. The parks are always so clean, but I came across this lost disposable mask in Epcot- it was bound to be swept up quickly by an employee. With a 2-year-old, it was nice to have some of the mask requirements relaxed and a little less tension if he pulled it off his face. (NOTE- please link to the mask trash series - Omeka resource > item) -
2021-05-21
New signage and mask policy on campus
New CDC guidelines have reached ASU campus- these signs were up and around campus today, indicating that if you're vaccinated masks outside are optional. Masks are still required inside ASU buildings. -
2020-02-09
Covid
My first mask was given to me by my dad. -
2020-05-12
Anti-immigrant protest outside of hotel that is housing migrant families
I was driving back from the library and saw this protest with no masks outside of a hotel that ICE is holding migrant families. They were waving American flags and had signs that said things like "America First", "Biden = Cartel", etc. -
2020-01
The First Mask
This is the first mask my father gave me at the end of January 2020. We didn't think COVID-19 would be a big deal, and it was more of a precaution than anything else. When everything started shutting down, I got more masks, and lost track of this one while moving out of my college dorm. I found it in again in September of 2020, and it reminds me of just how much the world has changed. I've had two pandemic birthdays, caught COVID-19, and got my vaccines, all while trying to be a college student. Looking at this mask reminds me of how much everything has changed, and the good and bad that I've seen go along with it. -
2021-04
Masked Faces Through Foliage
Ever since the pandemic started, I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors in parks and public gardens. While outdoors, I often take photographs. Recently I was looking through my photos and noticed that many of the ones taken in March and April 2021 showed masked faces through foliage. Somehow this seemed like a good way to remember Spring 2021. -
2021-04-26
Image Submission for LE Collection Call
[1] This copyright-free image, courtesy of pexels.com, shows Corporal S. Brantley from the Wheeling (West Virginia) Police Department monitoring a protest. [2] This copyright-free image, courtesy of pexels.com, shows officers from the New York City Police Department, some of whom wear COVID face masks, beneath scaffolding on a sidewalk. -
2021-03
How to Survive a Plague with a Disability
As I’m writing this, it is March 2021 and it’s been a year since I’ve updated this blog. Although I don’t only write about travel here, it’s been depressing to look back on my past trips and have to wonder when I could be in the world again. But I’ve been far from silent during this time. You can read many of my reflections on the pandemic and other topics over at The Mighty, where I have been an editor for the past five years. One year ago, when the pandemic was just beginning in the United States, one of my good friends posted a social media message about supporting each other during what most people thought would be a strange, scary, but ultimately short period of our lives. Part of it went something like this: My mask protects you. Your mask protects me. It’s a nice sentiment. Wearing a few layers of cloth over your face may not help you much, but it helps to prevent other people from getting sick. It’s a kind, visible act we can all do to show we care during a difficult time, to protect others who are at risk even if we may think we would not become seriously ill. It seems so simple, right? How could people not do this? But we all know what happened. “My mask protects you. Your mask protects me,” only works if the other person values your life enough to consider it worth protecting. I’ve been horrified by the number of government officials and online commenters who have viewed the deaths of elderly and disabled people as “acceptable losses” in exchange for keeping non-essential gathering spaces open. My life, and the lives of people with high-risk conditions, are more important than your trip to Disneyland. Don’t you think we want to go to Disneyland too? I’ve also noticed that able-bodied people often assume disabled people will be provided for in emergencies, and in general. They believe there are a lot of government programs and charities to help us, and that such programs are run well and meet our needs. This widespread — but utterly false — belief in a functioning safety net for “the vulnerable” gives people an excuse to behave selfishly while convincing themselves they’re not doing anything wrong. “Of course, there will be a plan to protect nursing home residents, and immune-suppressed people can stay home, so we can throw parties and go without masks if we don’t like them.” In reality, the needs of people with disabilities are often disregarded, misunderstood, ignored, and even actively opposed. We have to fight for access to everything, and sometimes end up on multi-year waiting lists for housing assistance, in-home care, and other essential programs and services. We must battle with government and private insurance to get the mobility equipment we need. We are GPS tracked like criminals if we need personal care assistants, with “fraud prevention” used as an excuse. We often depend on programs with ridiculously complicated requirements, and one missed deadline, one paperwork error, one month where we made “too much money” can cost us everything. -
2021
Reality
Posted in a Banksy fan page on Facebook. Not a Banksy but artist unknown at this point. The OP titled their post "Reality". -
2021-04-22
Seek the World talks about why their videos showed them without a mask
I am here to clarify the situation with Covid-19 and mask. I received many comments sharing their concerns about not wearing mask in the coronavirus pandemic. I kindly want to let you know all videos I released have been filmed before coronavirus. Those videos are new, yet I didn't get a chance to edit or release any video a while back. Why? I took a long break from Seek the World. The last time I filmed was more than a year. Thus, Sabrina and I didn't film or travel anywhere. From now on, you all will see new videos that were filmed before coronavirus. I applaud you all for showing care and making sure that I follow the safety etc. I fully agree with you all everyone needs to wear mask! Thanks! -
2021-04-20
Mask trash #34
Disposable mask along the riverwalk on the north bank of Rio Salado near the volleyball courts. -
2021-04-20
Mask trash #33
Black disposable face mask floating in the Rio Salado River near Tempe Beach Park.