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reopening
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2020-07-22School reopening Jenga
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2020-09-14High School Return to Learning Phased-In Opening
This item is a screenshot of an Arizona high school's return-to-learning plan. When public schools were able to reopen, this high school chose a phased approach. For this, different grades would start in school at different dates. For the grades that were not in school yet, they would continue to attend online. Teachers were to teach students virtually and in-person at the same time. This method was used so that the schools could monitor and adjust for social distancing and disinfecting with less students on campus. -
08/10/2020Helen Brechlin, Oral History, 2020/08/10
Alex Brice interviews Helen Brechlin, who is an administrative supervisor at the Boston Institutes Contemporary Art Museum. The interview begins with Helen discussing the onset of quarantine and the transition to working from home. She explains the intricacies of managing a team digitally. Additionally, Helen goes into how living with a partner who also works from home, you have to develop a new routine and learning to balance time and space. Helen then explains some things she did teleworking to keep her team strong, including having weekly communications and diving deeper into some of the artists displayed at the museum. Then Helen is asked about the George Floyd incident and how it impacted her and she expressed the importance of community, advocating change, and separately the importance of real communication over social media. Lastly, Helen talked about the differences after reopening the museum and making it safe and comfortable for visitors. -
2020A New Yorker's Perspective on Life During the Pandemic
I wrote because I felt compelled to, to chronicle what was happening to try and make sense of it and help me process it. -
08/14/2020Robert Shimp Oral History, 2020/08/04
In this interview, Robert Shimp discusses how the pandemic has affected the Paul Revere Memorial Association -
2020New England Student in COVID
It seems as though every winter all of the kids in schools get a cold. Classrooms have a chorus of sniffles and coughs until springtime and we all suffer sickness together. At least, that’s how it started. My college sent an email to all students, staff, and faculty, saying the school would be monitoring the COVID-19 situation in other countries on February 10th, 2020 and there was no threat to worry about. Everyone left for spring break on March 8th, 2020, expecting to be back in a week. Instead, we got an “extra week” of the break to make sure anyone who traveled could quarantine, just in case. That week turned into a handful more and started online classes ASAP. Students were given the opportunity to go back to the college in a 3-hour window to retrieve any materials necessary for a few weeks online until the surge dies down. Fortunately, I am studying computer science, so a majority of my professors had minimal difficulty making the change, but others were not as fortunate. Quickly, the handful of weeks became the remainder of the semester. All courses would be graded on the basis of pass/fail if the students elected for each individual course they were enrolled in, due to the nature of this huge and unprecedented turnaround. All exams were online, many professors canceled their midterms to alleviate stress from the students and fears of cheating. We would receive semi-weekly updates from the college, mostly fluff pieces about missing the student body with information that was important sprinkled in. Eventually, we were permitted to sign up for a window of time to go and move our belongings out of the dorms, once the state allowed outside travelers in. In the midst of all of the chaos, I transferred colleges and started the next academic year attending one that was much larger and had more resources at its disposal to deal with COVID-19. This school had planned to welcome students back to campus in fall 2020 with a few expectations in place. They had devised a “COVID-19 Compliance” system to keep the population safe and maintain records of who was following protocol. Students would have a “green badge” assigned to them in the morning if: they had completed a daily symptom check-in that was negative, they were up-to-date on their twice-weekly COVID tests and had not been marked as a close contact to someone who had tested positive. Had one of these not been completed, you would have a yellow badge to mark non-compliance, a red badge for isolation, or an orange badge if you were symptomatic. Students must show a green badge to enter ANY campus building. Some classes were online, others hybrid in-person/online at the discretion of the professors. Masks were to be worn at all times, students must get vaccinated once they were eligible, dining areas were to-go only, the campus was littered with signs to promote 6 feet of social distancing, and a student-run campaign called “F*ck It Won’t Cut It” was started to bring attention to the urgency of staying compliant to stay on campus. We would receive weekly updates about the status of the campus’s overall positivity rate. It felt like a shell of a college experience, as students could not visit other students’ residences, no clubs could have in-person meetings, attendance at sporting events was prohibited, and students reporting other students for non-compliance created an atmosphere of disdain. We are now in the second full academic year of the pandemic and there are a few deviations from what I described for fall 2020. Now, COVID tests are once weekly rather than twice, students can now visit other residences and attend sporting events, all of the dining spaces have opened up to sit-in dining, masks are still required at all times, all classes are in person, and the “F*ck It Won’t Cut It” campaign has been retired. It seems as though we are creeping towards the idea of a “typical” college experience, but it feels like this will have an everlasting impact on the next few incoming classes of students and change college as people know it. -
2020-06-30What Might the Artworld’s ‘New Normal’ Look Like?
The ArtReview article comments on the new normal and the possible dangerous path we are propelling towards as a society with accelerated speed. The article specifically discusses the use and imminent fears on future reliance of technology in the art sector. Looking on the positive side, social justice and pressure from activism groups and the Black Lives Matter movement have spurred the beginning of greater reform within the art world including decolonization efforts in museums, diversity in collections, exhibitions, and staff. -
2020-10-02Back to School (post-quarantine): Teacher Edition
Back to school is always a scary day for kids, but it can be for teachers too--especially after getting used to remote learning for so long. 2020 was my first year as a teacher. I started teaching online, and we eventually transitioned back into the classroom. For me, it was my first time in the classroom. I was super nervous about teaching and about all of the risks involved with school reopening. Thankfully, my school administration helped make everyone feel comfortable, and we had a lot of fun celebrating the start of school! This is a picture with a coworker of mine, my "classroom neighbor." -
2021-10-03The First Game Back and the Last Game of the Season
This was a photo from my seat at my first mariners game back since the beginning of Covid and the last game of a great season. IT was an emotional game because they lost their wildcard spot, it was probably Kyle Seager's last game as a mariner after 10 years, and it was my first time in the ballpark since 2019. It feels like we are getting back to normal even though I am still hesitant to jumping back in. -
2021-06-16Golden Gate Area Council Updated COVID-19 Policy
This is a document made by Golden Gate Area Council in response to California's reopening on June 15, 2021. It discusses vaccination and testing status requirements for campers, masking requirements indoors, tenting, and dining service, all of which are mentioned in the Leader's Guide. The end of the document implores leaders to make sure their Scouts clean themselves at camp, and concerns about mental health that arise from Scouts not staying long periods of time away from home for over a year. Neither hygiene nor mental health is mentioned in the Leader's Guide, but both are mentioned here. The document softens some of the COVID restrictions that were planned for camp. The update states that dining halls will be open for normal dine-in meals, overriding the Leader's Guide which stated that some meals may be take-out. Additionally, the update specifies that masks are not required to be worn outdoors. The Leader's Guide said "while at camp each and every camper must wear a face covering over their mouth and nose", not addressing a difference between indoors and outdoors. -
2020-03-15Daycares empty during the Pandemic
For my primary source I selected a picture of a daycare. This daycare is where my kids used to go. Before the pandemic started, I used to take them there because I have to go to work. One of them was 7 months old and the other one was 5 years old. I used to take them to the daycare six days a week except Sunday, then go to work and when I finish working, pick them up in the daycare around 5pm. I selected this source because I want Historians of the future to know how the pandemic hit ‘’daycares’’. This photograph was before the pandemic. I took it in the daycare in a birthday party that we did for my son. There is the babysitter, her assistant and other kids that used to go to the day care. I feel Historians will learn how difficult was the life for mothers who have to go to work and leave their kids in daycare and what happened to me when the day care was closed. Everything was normal until I heard about COVID 19.I have been working in a hospital and in march 15 2020 my Babysitter told me that in 3 days the daycare was going to close for undefined time because of the covid 19.I was scared to go to work because I did not want that nothing happened to my kids. I had to go to work in the hospital, but I did not want to because I know that I was going to be more exposed to the virus and I may bring it to my kids. But the other reason was that I don’t have nobody to take care of my kids after they close the daycare. In addition, my Babysitter also told me that she was desperate because she was not making money in the daycare. I decided to stay at home with my kids. I remember that the school also was closed. But I was not getting pay when I stay at home. It was a very difficult time for me because I had bills to pay, including the rent. I was feeling bad because I have some savings, but 2 months after march I realized that I did not have money to pay the rent. I realized that I need to go back to work, even thought I was thinking that I was going to be on risk to get the COVID, I found somebody to watch my kids and then I went back to work. I pray God for protection every day, in the bus, streets and the train. In august the daycare opened again, the Babysitter was happy because she was going to work again, but I was scared because I did not know if anybody in the day care could be sick and get my kids sick. I have to take my kids to the daycare, but it was not like before that Babysitter had many kids in the daycare, only my two kids were in the daycare. Today, my son is back to school and the other one is still going to the day care, but every day I pray for theme because I know that other kids are with them, and I don’t know who may be sick and they are always on risk, but I don’t have other choice because I need to work to get money to pay my bills as I say before. When I arrived home, I leave my shoes on the front door, go straight to wash my hands, take clothes of, take a shower and them pick them up in the daycare. Every day my kids are on risk, but I am also on risk at work. The situation is difficult, but we have to continue our lives, be wise and do our best to keep our family safe all times. -
2021-03-12Life in a Needle
Throughout medical history vaccinations have been imperative in order to fight diseases and viruses. As a child these vaccinations start at two months and tend to continue through our lives. Most vaccines are mandatory but there are some that are voluntary which leaves us contemplating our decision. The contemplation on getting a vaccine is why I chose a picture of my COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to be submitted as my primary source. When COVID first hit the United States, we weren’t really prepared for the devastation that it brought right along with it. When I first heard about COVID it still hadn’t reached the United States and that was around January but then around March New York started going into lockdown. The lockdown period was pretty difficult to deal with as the way of life completely changed. Mentally, emotionally and physically it took a toll on me. As a person that was barely at home because of school and work the lock down caused great anxiety. From the moment the world heard about the first case it went into creating a vaccine that could prevent the number of cases of deaths and hospitalizations from increasing. As pharmaceutical companies started the research to create a vaccine, I was pretty skeptical about it. I was refusing to get the vaccine if they succeeded in creating it because there was just so much doubt going through my head. I was unsure what the vaccine contained and if it would work in the prevention of catching COVID. But long behold a vaccine was created but of course there were so many side effects that came with the shot. With everything that was going wrong with the vaccine during the experimentation period it just strengthened my decision to decline the shot. My views started to change once I started to hear that many people weren’t getting any symptoms from the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. These vaccines required the person to receive two doses in order to be “immune” to COVID. Another reason that caused me to change my views on receiving the shot was the fact that I wanted to travel, and the government was requiring a vaccination passport in order to do so. The first dose of vaccines was only available to the elderly and to the healthcare workers who were risking their lives coming into contact with COVID patients. Then they started extending the qualifications needed for someone to receive the shot which included: preexisting conditions, obesity, high risk conditions, and many other qualifications. These are just of the few qualifications that was asked for in order for someone to be eligible to receive a vaccination. Because I have a preexisting condition, I was eligible to receive the COVID 19 vaccine. It was pretty difficult trying to get an appointment due to the high volume of people who wanted to receive the shot. After multiple attempts in trying to secure my appointment, I succeed with Walmart. I received my first Moderna vaccination on March 12, 2021 and my second vaccination on April 23, 2021. I was content on receiving the Moderna vaccine because it wasn’t recalled for causing health problems like the rest of the vaccinations from other pharmaceutical companies were causing. After a few hours of receiving my first shot I started to feel dizzy and very lightheaded to the point that I couldn’t drive at work. With the second shot my symptoms were: dizziness, fever, body aches, chills, change of smell and taste and nausea. The second shot was stronger than the first one but I’m glad that those were the only symptoms I experienced. But the one thing that both shots had in common after receiving them was the soreness of the arm for multiple days. Now that is has been almost a month that I received my second shot almost all the symptoms have vanished except for my change of smell and taste. Because the shot as altered my sense of smell and taste it has made it unbearable for me to smell or eat meat but I’m hoping that it will subside soon. The decision on receiving the COVID 19 vaccine is a daunting one to make as there can be many factors that can influence you. I received the vaccine as a precaution to myself and others. I also took it in order to travel and not worry about being prevented from boarding a flight because I can’t provide proof of the vaccination record card. I think this new vaccine is going to be a lot like the Flu shot as it comes in seasons and its up to the person to decide whether or not they’re going to get it. I’m just happy that the government hasn’t made it mandatory because there is still a lot of people who are pretty skeptical about it. The decision of our life is in a needle. -
2021-05-18Changes during the pandemic
I chose this photo because of the differences between a before and after the pandemic. I took the first photo from Google, from an article titled "What Keeps People Coming Back to a Restaurant?" (Carol Lin Vieira) because I do not have an old one where access to eat was allowed, since for me it was common. The second photo was taken at my current job, it is located at 2065 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10453. Before the pandemic started, we could go out and share with our families and friends, we could order food and eat in the restaurant, hang out, have fun and laugh, no need to be making reservations all the time. The pandemic changed our lives in a whole new way. Before we could be in groups and go to the park without the need to worry about whether other people could infect us. We had so much more fun because we didn't have to worry about whether restaurants would be open or not, whether we could go out and eat quietly away from home. During the pandemic, we can no longer do these kinds of things because we are separated. This is something sad, not being able to see your friends or family for fear of infecting us or infecting the people we love. Not being able to shake hands, give hugs, kisses on the face or share our food with other people. It makes me nostalgic to see how in my work the tables are empty and it is forbidden to eat, to remember how the restaurant was full with many people who laughed and told how their day, shared stories or dated someone. It is hard to listen to the sad voices of the customers when they ask when they can go eat. As I mentioned earlier, COVID-19 left many losses and many broken hearts along the way, it is a disease in which it showed us the value that each person has. Sometimes as teenagers we do not realize what we have, I chose this photo as an example of how little we valued the little things before and now we really need it. A single walk without a mask, sitting in large groups with your family in a restaurant, being next to someone who has already died due to this disease, among many other details. I think everything happens for a reason and from something so negative we learned something positive, we learned to appreciate the little things in life, to be more united with the family and to love more every day. -
2021-04Decide to get my covid vaccine
Getting my Covid vaccine. -
2021-04-18The Beginning of the End!? Corona Culture Spring 2021
These items are a sampling of documents and links to news articles and public event dates that chronicle the reopening of some parts of the United States in spring 2021. One year after the start of the pandemic (the anniversary itself celebrated in various media), Texas and other parts of the U.S. were trying to return their businesses and services to more normal conditions. A community college's plan for reopening its main campus, a news article about a baseball park increasing its capacity (and having a sold out game), a listing of 2021 tour dates for popular musicians, and a town's decision to end its mask mandate all tell the story of people wanting to return to normal living. However, both government leaders and ordinary people could disagree about whether it was good to relax COVID restrictions as the announcement by a local mayor and the decision of a local school board suggests. These items reflect the challenges of returning to Pre-COVID lifestyles because not everyone was united in the belief that it was safe to live normal lives. This illustrates the interesting conflict between holding on to what makes people be or feels safe and those who believe such restrictions are unnecessary now. -
2021-04-18What made California’s vaccine rollout so difficult?
The Golden state only recently received news that “50% of all eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine." It’s progress and it’s most certainly hope. What gives people even more hope is how they expanded vaccination eligibility to 16 and over as of April 15. Schools are already reopening, but this is good news for those who are still hesitant to return — and for good reason. What made California’s vaccine rollout so difficult? One of the most obvious answers is the size of the state. Its population was recorded to be over 39 million in 2020. Even with an increase in vaccines, with roughly 2.4 million doses in the first week of April alone, it was not enough to accommodate even the 50-64 age group — a population of roughly 7.2 million. Santa Clara County Executive Officer, Jeff Smith, was also quoted to have cited the state's governor for perpetuating the pandemic — that his pandemic approach was “disorganized and petulant.” Although affordable healthcare services is a nationwide pandemic in and of itself, California also deals with fragmented healthcare responsibilities. Distribution is “split up among 58 county governments.” Issues in communication, planning and transportation of vaccines are all major factors impacted by the overwhelming lack of unified leadership. https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1383132361148100609 https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/04/01/as-california-expands-covid-19-vaccine-eligibility-to-all-californians-50-governor-newsom-receives-vaccine-in-los-angeles/ -
2020-06-04How COVID-19 Is Shaping Tech Use. What That Means When Schools Reopen
This article discusses mostly how teachers are changing their beliefs/enhancing abilities due to the switch onto the online function. The article discusses a number of relevant topics such as teacher's capabilities to utilize educational technology, ability to troubleshoot technology problems, and technological environments for both students and teachers. There is also discussion on their views on the online teaching format, as well as their responses regarding economic and technological disparities for certain groups of students. -
2021-04-01Live theaters get long-awaited reopening guidelines from state, but many hurdles remain
San Deigo County has issued reopening guidelines for theatres. This marks the first time the theatres will be able to reopen in over a year. However, with the new guidelines theatres fear being accused of privacy violations. -
2021-03-02The 128th Day, aka Day One
For the first time in 374 days, I taught from my classroom today. It is the 128th day of school, we have only one quarter left. As nervous as we are about our community and the COVID risk level, I feel very positive and relieved to be back. COVID numbers have dropped considerably, and though I haven’t always seen eye to eye with my district in the way this entire pandemic has been handled, at the end of the day, I really feel like the right decisions were made Compared to neighboring districts, I feel our safety standards exceed the norm. It is strange still - the largest in person class I will have is seven students and the smallest is zero! Many families in our community have opted to continue distance learning through the rest of the school year, which I understand. We made the same choice for our two kids! Still, it was nice for the first time in over a year to wake up and have somewhere to go. Even though on one hand it seems ridiculous to Zoom an entire class of kids with two kids in the classroom who are sitting far away from me with headphones on and are logged into also the same Zoom meeting, I did feel re-energized to just be back in my classroom. I don’t think I have a greater prayer right now than for the vaccines to continue to work and for the adolescent and pediatric trials to successfully run their course. Wouldn’t it be incredible to have the kids vaccinated by fall? I know it will not be a reality for all students, but I think that piece of the puzzle will be a big part in mitigating the spread. In the meantime, I’ll continue to follow the pleas of the SOS sign that is taped all over the school. Indeed, let’s save our school year and the next one, too! -
2021-03-21Your Priority is to Open Schools Faster Rather Than Safer?
So @andrewyang, let us get this straight... your priority is to open schools faster rather than safer? You would have preferred for @uftny to open schools in the largest school district in America BEFORE it was safe to do so (which it arguably still isn’t)? Got it. 👍🏽 What are your thoughts on @andrewyang as a candidate? Do candidates’ views on education/ teaching unions influence your vote? Share below! 👇🏽 Source; @nyc_covid_mutualaid -
2021-03-12Remembering Our Last Lunch
On Friday, March 13, 2020 it was pouring rain. My co-worker/work wife/love of my life/bestest friend - the Ann Perkins to my Leslie Knope (very accurate if you know us) bought us McDonald’s for lunch. We jokingly called it “the end of the world as we know it lunch” and played REM while drinking Shamrock Shakes. We were in denial about what was happening around us. Two hours later, it was the end. We have not had lunch together, or been physically together, since then. (However, we probably outdo any teenagers in the amount we text each other. We’ve pretty much live tweeted ever minute of our incredibly mundane days to each other throughout all of quarantine.) Today, we both bought McDonald’s separately (for me, only the fifth time having fast food since shut down last March) to celebrate our year-versary of the “end of the world” lunch. One year later, it’s raining again, but it feels so different. A year ago, everything was closing down. Today, everything is opening up. I am thankful we’ve both received vaccination one, and although we are both apprehensive about school reopening in a week, the thought of seeing her face to face (six feet away and in a mask) makes me happy enough to cry. There is nothing I hope more for than for the efficacy of the vaccinations. I can only hope that the second Friday of March 2022 will see us together in my classroom, eating McDonald’s for lunch, talking about how we can’t believe we lived through a pandemic. A rainbow instead of rain would be a nice touch, too. -
2020-03-03NAACP encourages continued use of masks
Everyone is so eager to get back to "normal". Everything is reopening, people are feeling safer, and politicians are being reckless. The NAACP and @DrChrisMD is urging people to continue to be safe and wear a mask. People commenting did not seem to think we need to worry anymore, maybe they are right. -
2021-02-13Canada is 'playing chicken' with COVID-19 by reopening while variants are spreading widely
Many are criticizing provinces plan's to continue to open up as Covid-19 variants are springing up throughout the country. Places like Quebec have begun to reopen businesses such as museums, malls, and hair salons while having a curfew in place. Newfoundland is facing a current surge with a variant strain. -
2021-02-07Plan A Reopening Schools and Rights
This document from North Carolina Association of Educators is explaining the legal facts that educators have in my state when it comes to opening schools fully under Plan A. This document shows what legal protections we have and don't have as a state employee and how COVID-19 is viewed as a public health issue. It is important to note that as of right now most school districts in my state are not on Plan A which is 100% open but instead are either on Plan B or Plan C. Plan B is partially open/ online and Plan C is strictly online. Our governor is encouraging our schools to reopen and is opening more vaccine sites as teachers are next in line for the vaccine. This is important to document because every state is doing so many different things and people's rights vary from state to state. -
2021-01-25
COVID-19 statistics and in my life
Worldwide, there are 99.3 million cases of COVID-19 54.8 million recovered, and in about 2 million deaths. In the U.S. there are about 25 million cases of COVID-19 and about 419,000 deaths. In california (locally) there are currently about 3 million cases, and around 37,000 deaths. This has taken a toll in many people's lives, losing family members, distancing from family and friends, and many other things. I have been affected by COVID because my whole family already had it. We had it during Christmas, because of that Christmas was very dull as we couldn’t see anyone and we had no christmas dinner. I was still able to open Christmas presents in the morning which i am extremely grateful for, but it just wasn’t the same as it always was. When I had COVID I went into quarantine for 14 days and retested after the 14 days, it showed that I had the antibodies. I am not entirely sure how I got it but it happened. When I had it I didn't have any major symptoms since I am so young and healthier than most people, the only thing that happened was that I lost my taste for a few days and then it came back to me, my mom had basically no symptoms, my dad just felt a little tired and same with my brother. We were all fine at the end and now we have extra protection from covid now. I have a family that has been affected by COVID but thankfully no one has died yet. One of my family had to go to the hospital but he recovered, but that’s a story for another time. Right now since I have the antibodies I am not too scared of COVID, but for people that don’t have it I still think that it is a good idea to wear a mask and social distance. I hope that stores and restaurants are soon to reopen as I think that rule wasn’t necessary in my opinion. I don’t think life will ever be the same or at least for a while, but I hope that things can go back to normal as soon as possible. -
2021-01-25
Statistics and Additional Thoughts
Total Number of COVID Cases Worldwide - 99.3M Total Number of COVID Deaths Worldwide - 2.13M New Cases Reported 1/23/21 Worldwide - 600,790 New Deaths Reported 1/23/21 Worldwide - 15,846 Total Number of COVID Cases in LA County - 1,073,533 Total Number of COVID Deaths in LA County - 15,260 New Cases Reported 12/23/21 in LA County - 8,224 New Deaths Reported 12/23/21 in LA County - 98 These numbers are so big. Most of the time I am annoyed with the slowness of the reopening, but looking at the numbers makes me think that maybe we do need to be cautious when it comes to reopening everything. Pretty soon, the number of cases and deaths will start going down. I know this because now they are going to change the way that they count cases. It will be harder to get a positive test result, because instead of just looking at the results of the PCR test (you can get a positive test result but have a viral load so small that you aren't contagious) symptoms and contact tracing will be examined as well. If this change had been made before, then my high school friends would probably be attending school again. Small businesses would be reopening already. But I can't be bitter about that, because it doesn't lead anywhere productive. -
2020-12-10Tweet: Safe Schools Plan Second Round of Funding
Today, our government announced $37.5 million in approved funding for classroom expenses to keep staff and students safe in schools. This is in addition to the $51 million in funding that was announced in September. Learn more at https://saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2020/december/10/safe-schools-plan-more-than-$37-million-allocated-to-school-divisions-in-second-round-of-funding -
2020#RESTARTMB Pandemic Response System
The Pandemic Response System has been introduced to share the current level of risk, provide public health guidance to Manitobans and explain the range of measures in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Manitoba. -
2020-11-30Nova Scotia Premier, Stephen McNeil, calls Atlantic bubble a success, despite withdrawal of other provinces
A statement from Nova Scotia premier Stephen McNeil outlining his thoughts on the Atlantic Bubble. -
2020-08-12#RestartMB
This tweet announces the Manitoba government's reopening campaign. -
2020-12-08T16:36COVID-19: Behind the Lens of a University Student
Each photograph was taken at random and coincidentally during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in California. -
2020-11-23COVID and Montana High Schools
The contributor of this item did not include verbal or written consent. We attempted to contact contributor (or interviewee if possible) to get consent, but got no response or had incomplete contact information. We can not allow this interview to be listened to without consent but felt the metadata is important. The recording and transcript are retained by the archive and not public. Should you wish to listen to audio file reach out to the archive and we will attempt to get consent. -
2020-10-21Jewish Melbourne: NCJWA (Vic) received grant for Covid safe workplace
"Glen Eira City Council awarded NCJWA Vic with a special “COVID-19 Community Action Grant”. This grant is for the purchase of sneeze guards, sanitiser stations and sanitisers - all part of our COVID-19 Safe Plan to return to the office, when restrictions will allow." -
2020-11-18As COVID-19 soars in many communities, schools attempt to find ways through the crisis
As schools reopened around the world, countries saw surges in new COVID-19 cases. In response, some countries have re-closed schools while others have remained upon and employed strict guidelines. -
2020-11-10Cinemas in Shanghai
For months the cinemas have been closed due to the pandemic. They were allowed to re-open starting from July, and here's a friend talking about what's like to watch a movie in Shanghai, China. -
2020-11-03Elizabeth Sconyers Interview with Jason LeClair
Jason LeClair is a teacher at a theater arts teacher at a charter school in Rhode Island. In this interview, he discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected parts of his personal life and daily routine. He talks about specific effects the pandemic has had on performing arts, such as the use of Zoom and drive-ins for theatre and concert, the delays in reopening the performing arts to the public, and how the shutdown of performing arts has effected the economy. Finally, he touches on some concerns for the future of performing arts and how he believes the performing arts will be different after this pandemic. -
2020-09-18"How We Survive the Winter" - The Atlantic Monthly
As the winter of 2020 approached, James Hamblin, a staff writer for the Atlantic Monthly magazine, published a longform article providing readers with a comprehensive overview of the dangers the oncoming winter would pose during the pandemic. These dangers included, but were not limited to, rising infections (i.e. a second wave of infections), the lack of socially distant amenities (i.e outdoor restaurants and public parks) for people, rising rates of depression due to further social isolation, and the lack of proper ventilation in indoor areas contributing to further infections. These increased risk factors, according to Hamblin, will make winter one of the deadliest periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hamblin’s warning is supported by a resurgence in COVID-19 cases in Australia and South Africa, which at the time of the article’s publication was experiencing a Southern Hemisphere winter. To manage the risks associated with winter, Hamblin provides a list of actions that readers can take. These measures include accepting that the pandemic will not be over anytime soon, preparing for more lockdowns, and cancelling holiday gatherings involving extended families. Furthermore, Hamblin implores federal and local governments to establish testing infrastructure to track and contain COVID-19, which will minimize the infection and death rates. However, Hamblin notes that the Trump administration’s mishandling of the pandemic and misinformation of the public do not bode well for controlling the virus. In sum, Hamblin’s article provides a comprehensive overview of what informed writers thought of the dangers of the then oncoming winter of 2020, and what measures could be taken by the average person and the federal government to minimize the spread of COVID-19. -
2020-10-16Selling Coffee during the Plague Year
A journal of a Starbucks employee working during the pandemic. Describes the ways in which the company provided in ways adequate and not. Six weeks of paid stay-at-home that spiraled into depression, and the mounting stress from working with the public, and the pressure to open space for customers to stay in store. -
2020-10-13Finally moving to Phase 2
Wenatchee has been in lockdown and stuck at phase 1.5 for months due to an inability to get the virus under control. We finally received word that we could move to phase two and reopen things like the museums and library in town, which have been closed for 7 months due to COVID. This reopening means that many public services like computer use at the library and wifi for those who do not have access to it at home will be open and able to be used by those that need it. It is an important to compare where we are at to other places that moved into new phases much quicker, some of which had spikes because of it. I personally have not been able to leave and have been stuck at my house for months. I used to go to the library three times a week for school and to get out of my house but with a pandemic, I have been spending more time inside. I do not feel comfortable enough to go to the library yet, but am excited that the option is now there. Back to normal is still not an option though, and I worry that this will cause more cases in my area. This whole experience has been eye opening for how much I did unplanned, now I have to plan everything I do so I can keep myself and my family safe. -
2020-09-11
The Struggle of a Small Business Owner
Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic and my time in quarantine, I struggled with a multitude of things. I was distraught over my senior year being taken away, lonely from the lack of human connection and interaction, and full of anxiety and fear because everything about this virus and the future was still very much unknown. But none of this compared to my biggest and most upsetting struggle. Coincidently this struggle of mine wasn’t even my own, it happened to be my father’s. My father owns a vintage bowling alley named; The Fox Bowling Center located in a small town in Upstate New York. For over 25 years my father has owned and operated this bowling alley, and he has been involved with this business since he was 9 years old when his parents bought it in the early seventies. This bowling alley has been an integral part of my father’s life for almost 50 years, and during March of this year he had to shut down business due to the Covid-19 pandemic. My father was absolutely distraught and shattered over this news. He was worrying constantly over the future and when things might take a turn for the better so he could open back up. He also struggled severely with trying to pay bills and manage the money in a time when he had zero income. I think seeing my father struggle with money issues really hit home for me the most. The bowling alley never really made a lot of money to begin with, and when this happened he had nothing to fall back on. He worked tirelessly on trying to secure any type of loan that would help him just pay the bills and keep the business afloat. Seeing him go through this each day was torture. I just wanted to help in some way and tell him that everything was going to be okay, but I had no money to offer him and in total honesty I had no idea what the future held for small business owners like my father. Even though watching my father go through all this pain and sadness was one of the worst things I ever witnessed, he still managed to teach me some amazing life lessons I will cherish forever. He showed me to always persevere and look towards the future, and he also showed me that you can’t give up on the things you love and hold dear. I’m happy to also share that because of his hard work and perseverance with financial issues, he is able to reopen now that bowling alleys are allowed to open back up in New York. My father is overjoyed and can’t wait to have his loyal customers and friends bowling once again, even if it is a little different. I will never forget his struggle to keep the business open and when I think about those long months in the future I will always remember his hard work and dedication. -
2020-09-05Maintaining Core Values In America
I believe that America is living up to it's current values that rose with the start of this great country. Values of equality and productivity. -
2020-09-02San Francisco Hair Stylists Operate Outdoors
As California moved from the "watch list" system to a "color-coded tiered" system, San Francisco Bay Area businesses are still navigating re-opening plans. Only 2 counties in the Bay Area are currently in the "red" zone which allows for some non-essential businesses to re-open. All others are currently in the "purple" zone. While the time frame and requirements to re-open continue to create confusion across the region, San Francisco hair saloons were able to operate outdoors for the first time since March shelter-in-place orders. Aside from the important re-opening information in this article, the image of hair stylists operating outside of their establishment in San Francisco, with Pride flags displayed proudly in the salon's windows, caught my attention. While life as we knew it has completely changed in the San Francisco Bay Area, this image feels very "San Francisco" to me. I am curious what aspects of the COVID-19 world will stick with us long after the pandemic is over. Will some businesses, like hair salons, continue to offer outdoor services? -
2020-08-21A Lone Graduate
This image was taken of me the day before I moved away from my hometown, and in the middle of a global pandemic, it was the only graduation “celebration” I ever got to have. My graduation was rescheduled countless times because of Covid-19, and in a way, I gave up on the thought of having a true graduation. An in-person ceremony was planned, but cancelled due to a large party thrown by members of my class, which resulted in an outbreak. Though the frown in this picture was not intentional, it sums up the impact that Covid-19 had on my experience as a student in the class of 2020. -
2020-08-12A Successful School Reopening?
It seems that schools across the country are busy developing colorful graphics regarding school reopening plans. Green often means students and teachers are safe to return to school, a yellow column suggests that masks should be worn and a hybrid model should be put in place, red means schools need to close to mitigate the spread. But have they developed a nice colorful chart the impact of schools reopening? How many cases among students is enough to close the schools? How many cases will it take for the public to accept that schools maybe shouldn't be opened at full capacity right now. Will we know if our reopening plans are successful? A school district in Georgia was open 1 day before sending home multiple letters about students who had tested positive. This article talks about the divide that occurs in a community when deciding whether or not to open the schools. I think it is easy for people to hear 'kids are less likely to get COVID" and just assume that it's safe to reopen schools. Students in grades 6-12 are more likely to contract COVID than kids in grades K-5 and that's because they're older. Students in grades 6-12 are also in contact with far more students each day (7 classes a day, 20 kids/class). It seems outrageous to expect schools to open at full capacity and without issue. -
2020-07-30Nampa Starting School Year Online
The Nampa School district which is Idaho's 3rd largest school district overall but largest school district that is 1:1 with student devices made the decision to start the year online. The decision was made after a special session with the Board of Trustees. Earlier meetings suggested that the school district would start in person with a hybrid model of instruction. However, after hearing the pleas of local health officials the district opted to start online. As a Nampa teacher I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I am a healthy 25 year old teacher and I believe that if I picked up COVID-19 I would recover. My biggest concern is for my colleagues. The career teachers who have been teaching for the last 25-30 years. Many are in an age category that puts them at risk and others have underlying health conditions that also put them at high risk. I am so relieved that out Board of Trustees listened to our local health officials. -
07/25/2020Olivia Pecora Oral History, 2020/07/25
Olivia Pecora was born in Santa Monica, California, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, when she was eight. She graduated from Rowland Hall in Salt Lake City in 2014. After high school she attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. While at Villanova, Olivia was active in her sorority, spent a semester studying abroad, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 2018. Upon graduation, Olivia became a member of Teach For America, where she began working towards her teaching license. This journey placed her in Nampa, Idaho, and she became a teacher at Lone Star Middle School in 2018. She is a special education teacher with a focus on English Language Arts. In her job, she co-teaches classes, holds a resource class that is specific to her special education population, and manages the individual education plans (IEPs) of roughly 25 students. In her free time, Olivia loves to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with her friends and family, and explore the Boise, Idaho area. Throughout this interview, Olivia examines the impact of COVID-19 on the school system, her own life, and how she believes things will change going forward. -
2020-06-19Massachusetts COVID-19 Executive Order No. 40: Advancing Phase II Reopening
This executive order from mid-June of 2020 allows for restaurants and "close contact personal services" to reopen their "brick-and-mortar premises" and resume indoor table service. -
2020-08-03Thank You Mr. President
As a teacher I have witnessed quite a large debate playing out at school board meetings, over social media, and across the dinner table about whether or not schools should reopen for the fall semester. Perhaps one of the most compelling arguments I have seen is this recent tweet from President Trump. This description is very much full of sarcasm. Please, for the love of all humanity, consider the common good. Teachers want to go back to school but we want to do it safely. For right now, we need to be ok with teaching online. It's not ideal but we can make it work. -
2020-06-06Massachusetts COVID-19 Executive Order No. 38
As Massachusetts began its slow, phased reopening following the end of its lockdown, Governor Charles Baker issued this order extending the prohibition of gatherings of 10 or more people "in any confined indoor or outdoor space." This mandate reflects the abundance of caution taken by the state, as opposed to states that hurried their reopening in an effort to re-start their economy. -
2020-08-04A New and Uncertain School Year
The marquee along Maple Street, Wichita, Kansas, for Benton Elementary School urges parents to enroll their children now in what many thought would be a challenging school year. In late July, the Wichita school board delayed the start of the school year until after Labor Day in order to give faculty and staff more time to adjust their curriculum to more flexible models, clean facilities, and set up necessary shields, barriers, and social distancing measures. Despite the mandate requiring these measures, as well as masks and hand washing every hour, teachers and students still ventured into an uncertain school year, as Wichita-area schools forged ahead with in-person instruction and contact sports.