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0012-03-20
The Day the World Changed
On March 12th, 2020, I found out the fate of the remainder of my first spring semester as a college student. I don’t remember much about days during quarantine, but I do remember specific details of this day. It was the week before Spring Break for UAB, and all students were preparing for a week off from school. That weekend, my family was planning a trip to New Orleans for the weekend as my mother’s employer offered her a free two-night stay at any hotel of her choosing. My dad and I were planning to finally visit the National World War Two Museum. As my friend and I were walking to dinner at a local poke place in Five Points South, I received my first email that my English class would remain virtual for the remainder of the semester. My professor had Type 1 Diabetes and did not want to risk his health. Shortly after, the entire student body of UAB received an email that students would not return to campus until April 1st, 2020, at the earliest. While some students decided to pack up all of their belongings and take them home with them, others truly believed we would be coming back on April 1st. I decided not to take my belongings with me and traveled four hours to my hometown for the extended break. I went home that Friday, March 13th, 2020, after taking my midterm for Biological Anthropology. Once I arrived home, my parents made the decision to cancel our trip as the spread of COVID-19 was unknown at this time, and they did not want to risk going to a public and crowded place like New Orleans. Instead, my father and I traveled four hours back to Birmingham to pack up my dorm room and bring my belongings home. At this time UAB had completely shut down and was limiting access to campus and the dorms. They only allowed me 15 minutes to get any belongings needed. After that trip, UAB officially closed for the remainder of the term and students belongings were moved out of the dorms by moving companies to make room for healthcare workers. We did not get the chance to go on our New Orleans trip until over two years later, in 2022. I planned a big trip for my 21st birthday with my friends and family. While most restrictions have been lifted, people were still wearing masks, and businesses were still enforcing the three- to six-foot social distancing. I wasn’t surprised, as just earlier in the year, my employer required face masks for the spike in COVID cases in Birmingham. I remember going to restaurants and we were required to wait outside for our table. In the National World War Two museum, there were stickers on the floor that represented how far we should stand from each other. While many of the restrictions, including the social distancing and wearing a mask, had been lifted, it was nice to see that people were still making it a point to follow them for the safety of themselves and others. -
2023-05-19
Griffith Observatory
The Griffith Observatory is located in Los Angeles, California, where COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in February 2023 statewide. This picture was taken in May of 2023, just a few months after the Observatory stopped asking for proof of vaccination before letting you in and lifted its face mask mandate. I had been to the Observatory several times before the pandemic, but I stopped once the pandemic hit. Although the Observatory was open during the pandemic, it required visitors to wear face masks and show proof of vaccination before allowing them to enter the facility. -
2020-12-26
Everyday life amidst a global pandemic
When the covid restriction lifted my husband and I decided to visit family in Mexico. Because of the ban we were not able to attend funerals, birthday parties or any type of celebration. Despite the pandemic and the restrictions life seemed to be about the same 8 months after the pandemic had first been announced with some small changes. In a street corner waiting to order food, everyone was wearing masks. The elderly, children and the vendors themselves which was surprising considering the push back there happened to be originally from the Latin communities. The solidarity in the mask enforcement had now came from fear. The people in the streets were scared but had to continue their jobs as vendors and others having to go out side and purchase from these same vendors despite the fear of getting sick. When I think back to the first year of the pandemic I think about small moments like these, something as simple as purchasing street food now came with a worry of possibly getting yourself or others sick. -
2024-03-14
Multiple Covid Trips
When travel restrictions were lifted, did you take a trip? If so, where did you go and why? What are your memories of this trip? Were there any continuing COVID-19 restrictions in place? I swear I have no strong political opinions, but I looked at the stats for 30-something men for COVID, and decided I'd just go for it and refused to ever hide (except for that time I got Covid in July 2020). I went on SEVERAL trips. Also, I was a teacher in a VERY conservative area (read: students and parents were aggressively anti-Covid measures) and my wife was a nurse. I figured I was bound to get Covid and ruled a personal judgment of "Who cares? Especially if it's inevitable as this stuff spreads like glitter ..." I was a teacher and then delivered Ubereats nonstop as a form of "time travel". But we took the following Covid trips: May 2020 to Houston/Galveston. June 2020 to Colorado (Between these trips, I decided to focus on working and saving to buy a house as everything was shut down worldwide, there were no more trips to make) June 2021 to Port Aransas, Texas August 2021 to Colorado again (wife is from Colorado, thus the repeats) March 2022 to Northern Finland (Lapland) and was able to spend about an hour in Sweden, since we rented a car. August 2022 - Went to Costa Rica for the wife's 30th birthday. (Covid restrictions were gone by this trip). May 2020 to Houston/Galveston was a bit strange. I got asked to pick up a painting for my parents at her friends' house and so we turned it into a birthday trip for me. Hotels and beach were curiously packed and Texans simply did not care about COVID at this point. June 2020 to Colorado - George Floyd riots/protests (your decision) shut down downtown Denver and put us in a curfew where we couldn't leave the house after 8:00PM, so that was interesting. Still enjoyed the mountains and the fresh air, but we couldn't do much in Denver. The interesting thing at this point was the "two weeks to flatten the curve" was being revealed to be wrong, so we didn't know what to think anymore after this. August 2021 to Colorado - I have little in the way of memories of this trip. Wife really wanted to go. We saw more mountains and more of her friends. We ran away from a giant black creature in the woods (BEAR!) that was revealed to be a black cow and my wife makes fun of me for this to this day. More scared of that "bear" than I ever was of Covid. March 2022 to Finland - This was interesting. Finland was completely open and the primary restrictions were the US Government requiring masks on planes. We had to get a booster in order to go, which annoyed me, but I did it. The service in the airport was fascinatingly horrible and we were delayed by about 36 hours to Finland, which means we just missed the last Aurora of the winter. They also lost and then broke my wife's luggage. We drove around Northern Finland and even popped into Sweden for an hour because "Why not?". Other funny thing was everyone was very scared for us, because Russia had just invaded Ukraine and I had to reassure everyone that after the Winter War and World War II, Russians decided Finland was haunted and to never return (for historical accuracy, this is a joke, but it was a fun joke). I liked Finland/Lapland, but it was more expensive then Tokyo. I've never been anywhere more expensive in my life. Gas was somewhere in the range of $11/gallon, due to the invasion (on top of already high European prices). We met Santa, I got bit by a reindeer and sled dogs are a rambunctious bunch of creatures. We slept in the ice hotel you see sometimes in travel blogs. The stores were all open. Everything was open. Finland simply did not seem to care about Covid and my understanding was Sweden didn't either (part of the reason we shrugged and popped over). I had literally one person one time ask me to put on a mask when I went into a store, but this annoyed us and we left. August 2022 to Costa Rica - Flew in and out of Liberia, Costa Rica (not San Jose) for reasons I don't remember - I think I did that because I was desperately trying to make it an open-Jawed trip (fly in to Liberia and fly out of Panama City). I remember being annoyed because I told my wife repeatedly that "I don't think Costa Rica will be as cheap as everyone has told you" and it wasn't. It's pretty and nice. It's not really cheap at all. Interesting thing here is there were absolutely ZERO Covid restrictions. Nothing. None. Not one. Over. The story was over. So I'll end it there. -
2021-07-30
Covid Was Over
In 2021 my Mom and I planned a trip to Mexico to visit her side of the Family. We had been putting off the trip because of a lack of money and then Covid hit. It had been seven years since my mom had been able to visit her mother and her siblings. At this point in time, travel restrictions and quarantines were largely a thing of the past. People in my area no longer considered Covid to be a threat in the way it was viewed in the early part of 2020. Masks weren’t in common use and people went about as they pleased. Deaths were still rising. By June of 2021 our trip took place. Most of the big travel restrictions had been lifted, but oddly enough America still had testing restrictions for reentry. Mexico, a nation that still cared about limiting the spread of the virus, had no testing or vaccination requirements for entry. We went on our trip and had a great time visiting our family in Mexico City. While staying we decided to visit the Museum of Anthropology in the city center. To enter, we had to go one at a time and be sprayed with some sort of sanitization chemicals by guards in the front. Being a poor Spanish speaker I was afraid I would do something wrong and that they wouldn’t let me enter. Thankfully everything went well at that time. When the time came to leave we had to locate a pharmacy that would do rapid testing for our return trip. America had very specific instructions that only allowed for certain pharmacies to do the testing. This made it very difficult to find one that would work. When we got to the testing site it reminded me of zombie movies. The pharmacy was surrounded by tall iron fences with razor wire at the top. People wanting to be tested were funneled one by one to a testing kiosk. The kiosk itself was a glass paneled box complete with attached glove arms and a ventilation system. The test itself was a simple swab test that was much more painful than I thought it would be. My nose hurt for an hour afterward. On the day of our departure I was nervous that something would not be correct with our records and we would be stopped from leaving Mexico. The person who officially went over our records was in the baggage check in area. She took our documents and didn’t even look at them for one second before handing them back. I was confused but this, since our American travel sites made such a big deal about it. Honestly, we could have easily faked the records to get back into America. Ultimately we got home safe and sound. A little over a month later everything went to hell. My cousin, Aunt, and Abuelita all contracted Covid and were hospitalized. My Aunt and Abuelita passed away from the virus, only my cousin survived. My mom had to deal with the loss of two close family members less than two weeks apart. It felt so wrong, how could they have both died when Covid was over? -
2020-12-30
Travelling in December 2020 and January 2021
I remember first hearing about COVID-19 in January of 2020. There were concerning reports that Chinese authorities were wielding apartment doors shut to contain the virus, which was certainly a bad sign, and I was fairly certain that if those measures were being taken, the disease was a big deal. I followed the developments fairly closely from my parents' home in Oklahoma. In late March, around the time of my 21st birthday, I was working as a substitute teacher at the high school I graduated from. I was able to work one singular day before the virus shut down the school district. The next few months were full of changes. Uniformed National Guard personnel staffed vaccination centers, groceries were delivered directly to houses, and entire industries went work-from-home. By the time December rolled around, the initial panic had mostly died down, and many travel restrictions were lifted. I needed a break. I decided to catch a ride with a buddy of mine from Indiana who just so happened to have family here in Tulsa. I bought a plane ticket to facilitate my return trip. We have some mutual friends in Zionsville, a little suburb of Indianapolis, and we collectively decided that we wanted to have a New Years party. Here in suburban Oklahoma, many of the mask mandates had been dropped by this point, but it was still prudent to carry a mask in the somewhat rare event that a business owner preferred patrons cover their faces. It was much the same in Zionsville, but businesses in Indianapolis proper, in my experience, were much more strict. I understood that COVID-19 was a serious health risk, and that it was smart to wear a mask, but it was somewhat confusing to go from a place that seemed so carefree - and admittedly irresponsible - to a place that was still mandating face coverings. The party with my friends went well and many margaritas were consumed. It was a much-needed break. The locations with the strongest COVID restrictions were perhaps the airports. It made sense to me, since airline travel likely contributed a great deal to the initial spread of the disease. Regardless of reasonability, masks were worn the entire duration of the flight. The entire cabin smelled of sanitation wipes, and the airport felt somewhat emptier than I was used to. This was Indianapolis' airport. I had a layover in Dallas and that Airport felt much more lively, in that sort of carefree way I was accustomed to back in Oklahoma. Masks were still required on the plane itself. I landed back home late in the evening without too much excitement. It was nice to take my mask off when I got into my mom's car. Overall, the trip made me realize that different states and regions were treating the ongoing pandemic very differently. While New Years was a welcome break from the monotony of the initial quarantine year, the trip did raise questions about my state government's commitment to public health and safety. -
2022-07-09
A New World: How Covid-19 affected my anniversary trip.
Originally, I always had the idea of taking my wife on a Mediterranean cruise for our 10 year wedding anniversary. However, it seemed as if Covid-19 would make those plans impossible to carry out. Thankfully, vaccines became available, and the Mediterranean countries would begin to open up to tourism again with some restrictions. On July 2022, we flew out to Rome, Italy to spend a few days there before the cruise itself. Even going through the airport was an entirely different experience, since this was our first time seriously dealing with the restricted rules(we had previously isolated ourselves for over a year and did everything online). We had to wear masks everywhere in the airport, our tram was partitioned into sections by barriers, and airplane boarding took longer since the boarding groups were made significantly smaller. When we arrived in Rome, we still had to wear masks inside of buildings(which was consistent with our experience all throughout Europe) and transportation(some buses enforced it, some didn't). In addition, as we visited restaurants, shops, and tourist locations, there were only a limited amount of people allowed in each location since there was a priority in having space between different groups. The restrictions continued as we embarked on our cruise a few days after. If you were vaccinated(as we were), you only had to take one antigen rapid test before you entered the ship to make sure that you did not have Covid-19. If you were not vaccinated, you had to take two tests, one a few days before you entered the ship, and one on the day of embarkation. This was unique, as a lot of other cruise brands were not letting anyone who was unvaccinated aboard their ships. When we boarded the boat, each group was given their own table and their own serving team(with masks on). This was possible because the allowed capacity that was on the boat was severely reduced. This allowed for us to have a more intimate experience with the serving staff, which was still at a relatively high capacity as compared to the population of the customers. As it comes to the picture itself, it is very important because we were only allowed to take off our masks for pictures inside of buildings. In addition, that picture was inside of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which is a place that I have always wanted to enter due to its Christian symbolism. The walls and the statues tell the story of Christianity that has spanned over thousands of years. -
2022-06-22
The Two-Week Road Trip
When COVID-19 shut everything down in March 2020, I was in the middle of student teaching and preparing to take my last teaching certification exam. My college graduation was moved to a PowerPoint presentation, and summer plans were canceled. The first year of my teaching career was hybrid. I had a small portion of my students in person, and a majority tuned into my world geography class via Zoom. In my second year of teaching, things were slowly returning to normal. Asynchronous and synchronous schooling was no more, and students had to attend in person while wearing masks and trying to maintain social distancing as much as possible in a high school. During this school year, my family planned a two-week road trip to explore historic sites in the United States on our journey from San Antonio, Texas, to Eau Clair, Michigan. On this road trip, we traveled through and stopped in eight states. In the Summer of 2022, I embarked on a two-week road trip from June 19th to July 2nd with my mom, my younger brother, and my grandma to visit family in Illinois and Michigan. It was chaotic and wonderful at the same time. We traveled through Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri until returning to Texas. Travel restrictions at this point were lax or nonexistent in the states we traveled to, and many people we encountered acted as if COVID-19 had never happened. Masks were hardly worn, and social distancing was gone, although signs recommending the six-foot distance still lingered around different locations we stopped at. I, however, carried hand sanitizer with me religiously and had a mask with me in case it was needed. Because of how relaxed the COVID-19 safety restrictions were in the states we traveled through, my family and I were convinced we would get sick. Luckily, we did not, but whenever we returned to the car after a sightseeing excursion, we always said, “There’s no way we didn’t get COVID that time.” We were most convinced that we had come into contact with the virus in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While in Chattanooga, we went up Lookout Mountain and into Ruby Falls. Ruby Falls is a series of caverns that lead to the tallest and deepest underground waterfall in the United States. You must descend in an elevator to get down to the cavern entrance. There were no mandatory mask signs or social-distancing warnings to board the elevator, only a weight limit. So, my mother, younger brother, and I squeezed into an elevator with about twenty maskless people and descended into the cave. On the cave tour, we were still in close quarters but were able to spread out a bit more. We traveled into the depths of the caverns until we made it to the waterfall, took our pictures, and then road back up to civilization again, compacted into an elevator. We traveled and stopped in many different places, each with various rules and restrictions regarding how that establishment was handling COVID-19. Our elevator ride at Ruby Falls was the most surprising part of our trip. This elevator ride made me feel as if people had forgotten the entire COVID-19 epidemic had occurred. My surprise was mainly influenced by the precautions I had to take as a teacher, and going out into the “wild” opened my eyes to how different parts of the country were coping with the aftermath of the epidemic. I observed many people's attitude on our road trip: "Let's just get back to normal.” -
2022-06-25
Exploring Cairo
I visited Cairo in the summer of 2022. I decided to upload a picture of myself overlooking the city of Cairo. It was my first time visiting a Muslim country and a non-Western country. This was the main reason why I wanted to go. I chose to upload this picture because it reminds me of the awing experience of taking in Cairo for the first time. There were still a few Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time, but the Egyptian authorities didn't seem too interested in actually enforcing them at the airport or anywhere else. I took this photo on Anthony Bourdain Day (June 25th). Anthony Bourdain and his show are one of my major inspirations to travel and experience the wider world. -
2023-07-13
Post-Pandemic Trip to Seattle
Like it did for many people, the start of the Covid-19 pandemic canceled multiple travel plans for me. I applied for my passport in 2018 with the intention of going on a study-abroad trip my junior year of undergrad. Instead of travel memories, I have a memory of sitting in my PoliSci class and discussing the news with my classmates that the university might shut down for a few days. We didn’t go back, and I still haven’t used the passport. Once travel restrictions were lifted it still took me a while to get back out into the world. The first trip I took was in July of 2023. I traveled from Minnesota to Seattle, Washington with some of my friends from high school for a week of sightseeing. We chose it because most of us had never been to the Pacific Northwest. It was my first time in an airport since December of 2018. I remember having quite a few lingering anxieties related to Covid, to the point where I was actually dreading the trip before we left (even though I ended up having a wonderful time). I had some struggles with health anxiety during the pandemic. Before tests were widely available I remember frequently being so paranoid I had Covid that I would convince myself I did and actually make myself feel sick with anxiety. Since restrictions have been lifted this has stuck around, and now takes the form of me getting excessively anxious about getting Covid before important events (like the trip, and my wedding just a few weeks before it). I also was nervous about going to the airport because I didn’t know what to expect in regards to how many restrictions would still be in place. It turned out there were no restrictions remaining in the MSP or SeaTac airports beyond some signs reminding people to not enter if they felt unwell (I am certain most people who make it far enough to see the sign still enter). Once the actual boarding of the plane went fine, I entertained myself with anxieties about the odds of someone on the plane having Covid and all of us breathing circulated air. I actually had Covid once in the fall before the trip, and got the highest fever of my life but was ultimately okay. Interestingly, this didn’t really ease my fears during the flight. Nobody got Covid from the Seattle trip (though we were probably just lucky) and instead I got some of the most precious memories of my life so far. I also had a surprising lack of anxiety once we got there. We visited a long list of places including most notably the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market, and the National Nordic Museum. There were no Covid-19 restrictions remaining in any of these places. I had packed one reusable mask in my backpack in case I needed it, and it turned out the one time on the whole trip that I entered a space where masks were required (a small independent bookstore) I didn’t have it with me and had to borrow one. I still thought about Covid every time we pushed through a packed crowd in Pike Place Market, but more so than being afraid I thought about how during the peak of the pandemic I was convinced it was something I would never do again. I don't believe the pandemic is truly over even now, but I drastically felt how much things had changed in that moment. The picture I included to tell my story is of my friend Carlie and I on the top of the Space Needle (I am sitting on the right). We went back twice, and spent literally hours sitting on the glass floor and watching the city go by as it slowly rotated. It's one of my fondest memories of the trip. I’ve heard some people say the Space Needle is overrated, but as small-town Midwesterners we were pretty fascinated. I’m grateful to those who spent the pandemic under harsher restrictions in bigger cities like Seattle so that I can visit these places now. It was nice to feel so small looking down on Seattle after the world felt so small during restrictions just a few years earlier. -
2021-11-19
Our Adventures In Iceland
I've written a story sharing our Covid trip to Iceland that we were able to take after the restrictions were lifted. I don't think we would have gone if the circumstances were different, it was a life-altering trip for us, something joyful in the midst of a world crisis. -
2020-09
Tourism story for the COVID-19 Archive
I am submitting a short antidote regarding an individual being upset by being asked to wear a mask on a ferry. This could be important to show how some people resisted COVID-19 restrictions, but this event's importance to me is nonexistent. -
2020-09
Yosemite COVID Camping
Living in San Diego at the time, once travel restrictions were lifted, I went to Yosemite National Park as I thought being in an outdoor open-air environment would mean less COVID-19 restrictions. As an avid backpacker and nature enthusiast, I could not wait for the national parks to reopen so once Yosemite opened its proverbial doors I jumped on the opportunity, as I had never been there before. My memories of the trip are very fond ones. I remember the emptiness throughout the park. One of the COVID restrictions implemented by the park was the limitation of people who could enter on a daily basis. Due to this finite number of visitors, and me being one of them, this made the park feel fairly empty, which was amazing. Not having congested trails and camps made my trip seem like I was in some remote forest, vice one of the most famous national parks. So, besides the stunning views and crisp air, one of my primary memories is the feeling of seclusion throughout my time due to COVID-19 entrance restrictions. Also, I remember a lack of masks and overall COVID-19 consciousness throughout the park. Even though the park had a mandatory mask policy, I remember not seeing many masked people. I honestly thought the mask restriction was overkill due to the already implemented restrictions and being outside, but I did notice we all would use masks if coming near other people on trails. Yosemite still had several COVID-19 restrictions implemented throughout the part. Aside from the aforementioned entrance cap and masks, all their restaurants, hotels and general facilities remained closed. Also, they spaced out the campsites, so each camp had at least one camp space between them, limiting the sharing of space. They even closed specific trails due to the lack of workers at any given time. The park employees were few and far in-between due to a COVID-19 restriction, which meant less accessible trails since they would not supervise them all with such limited manpower. Besides that, the COVID-19 restrictions were not abundant, which was likely a product of the open-air environment. -
2021-03-16
Nice to be in the sun
Being an avid traveler the Covid lockdowns provided an obstacle I couldn't overcome. I had to sit it out. Local trips in New England filed my free time but many restrictions limited the scope of availability. In March of 2021 my girlfriend and I took our first trip since the start. We went to Aruba. Her first time my 4th. Being a favorite destination I was aware of much of what the island had to offer. Yet still unsure what lockdowns meant. We had to abide by a curfew and masks had to be worn. However the trip was a warm delightful experience which was followed by more adventures. -
May 2nd, 2020
CVS in Lockdown
The CVS on Armstrong and Arthur Kill Road requires masks and social distancing if you are shopping there. -
May 1st 2020
The New Normal
The New Normal: People had to stand 6 feet apart when they went shopping. It caused a lot of problems. We also had to wear face masks which caused tension among guests. -
April 8, 2020
The New Normal on Staten Island
Is this the new normal or will Staten Island go back to the way it was before the pandemic? -
April 8, 2020
Public Health Measures on Staten Island
Social distancing, face masks, empty shelves and restrictions throughout Staten Island. -
April 23rd, 2020
Hospital During Lockdown
What Hospitals were like doing during lockdown -
June 28, 2020
Staten Island Ferry Social Distancing
Screenshot of the Staten Island Ferry with social distancing tape on the seats. -
2020-04
Saved
The pandemic has not only been a devastating experience but a time of reflection. -
2020-04-20
Trapped in paradise
I was stationed in Oahu when Covid restrictions went into place. The entire island shut down and, at first, it was fantastic not having to go to work and just hanging out on a tropical island. As time went on, people started to go stir crazy, when the local government closed the beaches and other activities that made island life bearable. When Covid reached its worst point, the Army stopped allowing people to move, so even plans that were months out were canceled. Having joined those who went stir crazy, the prospect of being stuck in Hawaii any longer than necessary held little appeal to my family and I. When restrictions eased a little, military moves were only possible if the place you were coming from and going to were having drops in cases. We didn’t know for sure that we could move until a few days before it happened. We were so excited to be getting out of Hawaii, we forgot about how disappointed we were that my next duty assignment would be taking us to Denver. I’ve been to Denver before and didn’t like it, but when we got off that plane, after being trapped on an island for the last year, it was exciting. Most of my children weren’t old enough to remember snow, so they were immediately excited about the change. I was happy to see real mountains again, but forgot about changing seasons. It took me a while to realize that I can’t wear shorts in December any more. Colorado, for being so liberal didn’t have much in the way of covid restrictions. It was refreshing, considering that in Hawaii everyone was still wearing masks for everything. -
2021-08-11
Venturing to California Once LIve Concerts Resumed
As pandemic restrictions began to ease up, we decided to travel with our family from Arizona (where things had been less strict) to California (where things had been more strict) to see a concert. Many of the music artists we enjoy had only been performing via live stream for the prior year and a half, but now a band we enjoyed was having an outdoor concert at a large venue. After buying tickets though, we worried because we began to see information on the venue's website that indicated only California residents would be permitted. We tried calling, but there were no responses. We went on the trip, not knowing if we would be turned away. Luckily, the website for the event updates the day off and we were able to enter. It was an awkward feeling as masks were still required for an outdoor event, but the vast majority of participants didn't have them on. The picture is my son in outdoor seating wearing his mask despite everyone around us not. This was much less an act of social defiance or morally based compliance, and more of confusion about what was really expected and fear of stepping across unclear lines in a neighboring state. -
2021-03-06
Aruba 2021
This is a story that reflects positively on the implications of covid and how it effected the tourist experience. It is an honest, first hand account of travel to the island of Aruba without the mass tourism they have become so familiar with. It speaks to the erosion of personal nature and connection that coexists so easily with the superficiality of mass tourism. -
2022-02-02
COVID Forever (Unfortunately)
The image describes the cyclical nature that came with the Coronavirus due to various variants developing. This repetition can lead to people living stagnant and restricted lives. Such occurrences may result in feelings of hopelessness and futility. Sadly, one person alone cannot stop the spread of the virus, yet individuals continue to suffer. -
2022-07-10
Tennis Is Done With Covid-19, but the Virus Isn’t Done With Tennis
This is a news story from The New York Times by Matthew Futterman. This story chronicles the changes tennis has gone through during the pandemic. Compared to other professional sports, tennis has been one of the sports with restrictions applied the longest Novak Djokovic, one of the top tennis players in the world, is noted for his refusal of the COVID vaccine. This caused controversy in 2021 at the Australia Open, where his refusal to get vaccinated resulted in his deportation. The Australian government was worried that his refusal would embolden others. The rest of the article goes on about what other tennis players have said about the restrictions, and what they mean for the sport. Some of the tennis players expressed not paying attention to restrictions as much as they used to, and wanting to live like they used to. -
2022-07-06
Canada extends COVID border restrictions to Sept. 30
This is a news story from Freight Waves by Noi Mahoney. Canada's vaccine mandate for border-crossing truck drivers will remain in place until September 30. Americans crossing the Canadian border must be fully vaccinated and are subject to random testing. About 30,000 trucks cross the Canadian border each day. -
2022-06-27
Sign inside Macy's about germ spread
This was a sign I found at Macy's while at Scottsdale Fashion Square. This sign tells people to cover their mouth and nose while sneezing, use social distancing, and to avoid things like shaking hands. However, the time I went to Macy's did not have many restrictions in place. Some customers chose to wear masks, but at the point in time I went, it was not high alert. -
2022-04
Drive Thru Test for travelers in American Samoa
Opening up the borders in American Samoa was great news for Samoans that were stuck in the states for a year and a half borders were closed in American Samoa. And just when they think going home would be easy, it wasn't. There were a lot of requirements that were set by the government for travelers to follow when entering the island. This was one of the many requirements that travelers had to follow to ensure the safety of the people of American Samoa. Even if your test came negative upon arrival, you still had to get a second test to make sure that you do not have COVID. Somehow, despite these requirements, restrictions, and quarantine, cases still emerged on the island. -
2022-05-28
Testing Positive and Using the ‘Backdoor’ to Get Into the U.S.
This is a news story from the New York Times by Ceylan Yeginsu. This is about how people have been finding ways to bypass restrictions while traveling. Land crossings are a way some people are doing this, since land crossing does not require testing for entry into some countries. One way this could be done is doing the mandatory self-isolation period of five days, than choosing a different flight to a country like Mexico first, to then cross into the United States by land to avoid the ten day isolation required for testing positive for COVID. This article is quite interesting because it shows the ways in which COVID restrictions can be bypassed through loopholes within the framework. I have no idea the amount of people that actually do this, but at least a few have noticed ways to get out of restrictions. -
2022-04-27
Life of COVID in Japan
When COVID first started and until now I have been living in Japan. When it first started to break out things immediately began to lock down and the restrictions of what can and can’t be done began to pop off instantly. Japan is a lot stricter that what at least Arizona has been. I haven’t been to other states so I am unable to express what it is like. Now Japan ever since COVID began locked down their borders and leaving the country or traveling from where I live in Okinawa which is a small island, was extremely difficult. I work in the military and the fight against COVID was to make everyone get vaccinated and if not you were to be separated. Many people began to argue that their religion did not allow it but pretty much 99% of the claims for religion was denied. So once everyone either got the vaccination or was separated things began to get a little bit better. Restaurant began to open up but it would continue to fluctuate between if only outdoor seating was allowed or indoor and outdoor. Travel between prefectures of Japan started to open but only if vaccinated. Although COVID tests were mandatory for travel to happen. Although the US didn’t have their borders locked down, we were still unable to travel to US to see family no matter the reason except a funeral because we had to get back into Japan afterwards. By the time Japan finally opened their borders I finally was able to go home to spend time with family and be around for the holidays for first time in over two years. I think because of this, many people in the military don’t want to stay in no more because the ability to do many things aren’t able to be done. The military has to work with the country of Japan to make sure all is well between each other so the government’s power and military’s power restricted everyone from being able to do the many fun things Japan has to offer. Although, now in 2022, things are beginning to open up and things are going back to more normal barring another variant forces Japan to go into a state of emergency. -
2020-06-05
A Covid Graduation
I’ve submitted two pictures from my high school graduation. Many 2020 seniors didn’t get to have graduation, I was fortunate enough that my school had one. -
2022-03-16
COVID Surge in American Samoa
American Samoa, a small U.S territory located in the South Pacific, was the last place to experience the surging numbers of covid cases. When the coronavirus was declared a pandemic at the beginning of 2020, American Samoa was the only place on earth not to have any cases of COVID. To combat the disease, the government of American Samoa barred incoming flights for a whole year from the United States and their neighboring island of Western Samoa. Although the island did not have any COVID cases, the government promoted and maintained the restrictions throughout the island. However, after opening the borders for inbound flights after a year, American Samoa did not report its first Covid case until September 2021. Since then, travel restrictions and quarantine for travelers were enforced, but eventually, a big surge of cases began to be seen in mid-February of this year. The opening of borders to inbound flights brought the disease into the island. Coronavirus cases jumped from only a hundred to 555. It is still considered relatively low worldwide, but it is high for a small island. Fortunately, no fatalities are reported, with more than 80 percent of the population vaccinated. The attached image is data reported weekly by the American Samoa Department of Health to the public to show how many cases are positive in each village and totaled in American Samoa. The people were worried that the disease might cause some fatalities, the government was quick to impose a lockdown restriction called "CODE RED," which barred social gatherings, schools, traveling, and work on February 22. Although the public panicked with the news of coronavirus cases on the island, the government worked to assure the safety of the people by making sure people were aware of the number of cases and the situation with live news updates and weekly data by the Department of Health. I was also worried when I first heard of the surging number of COVID cases at home. Although I moved to the states for school, I made sure I am kept up to date with what is happening back at home. With the fatalities I saw here in the states with Covid, I was also worried for my parents. But it was comforting to see the live updates by the government on social media which kept me closer to home. -
11/12/2020
Kristine Benusa Oral History, 2020/11/12
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12/09/2020
Reed Engle Oral History, 2020/12/09
C19OH -
2021-10-23
HIST30060: Post-lockdown Event
The screenshot for a post lockdown birthday shows the enthusiasm for reopening and recommencing social life, but is tempered by the restrictions still in place. -
2021-05-28
HIST30060 Frustration over lockdown restrictions in Victoria
This is a short sentence sent into the Herald Sun newspaper just after another lockdown had been announced, that says quite simply 'Daniel Andrews, just get out of my life.' This sentiment has grown throughout the course of the pandemic, as people feel very frustrated with their freedoms being restricted, if only temporarily. Thus, this item reflects the debate around pandemic restrictions- while some see them as necessary to stop the spread, others question either the need for them or their harshness. -
2021-09-24
Best Summer Ever
This is a news article detailing the result of Alberta’s “Best Summer Ever” which saw almost all pandemic restrictions relaxed with only the begrudging exception of a required quarantine if you were to test positive – yes they seriously tried to get rid of that. ‘They’ being the UCP (United Conservative Party) of Alberta, which has exacerbated the pandemic through prioritizing corporate needs by pushing to continually open the economy at the expense of public health. Ontop of this, the continual gutting of our healthcare system, as a means to ‘legitimize’ the need for a private healthcare system coincided with this, and had devastating results on the lives of Albertans. Jason Kenny, the premier, went to our ‘greatest outdoor show on earth’ the Stampede; and flipped pancakes for all attendees with a smile. They sold ‘Best Summer Ever’ hats, while slowly our hospitals were filling up. As I am writing this, there is a humanitarian mission currently in my province, the army has been deployed to assist, and we are flying people to Ontario for medical treatment because our hospitals are at capacity. The cannibalistic nature of this party and overall of Capitalism has resulted in immense suffering for my province, people are dying in waiting rooms. The last portion which I wrote there really bothers me, I can’t comprehend that experience, you’re in somewhere where they can take care of you, or help you in anyway – but there’s nowhere to lay down, dying in a liminal space. I have Conservative, and Liberal friends who have stated that “it isn’t that bad” or that it’s “just the unvaccinated,” (yes this is a real comment a Conservative ‘friend’ told me in response to my anger with the situation) I cannot comprehend what they mean by either of these, the situation is clearly unacceptable. People have been willfully sacrificed so corporate executives can make their regular paycheques, why is that not infuriating people, why is it just this fixation on ‘getting back to normal.’ Normal is killing people, and having strong men like Jason Kenny smile and flip pancakes only adds onto the absurdity of the situation, I can’t help but be reduced to a boiling rage whenever I read anything relating to our province and the pandemic, I don’t want to live here anymore if this insanity is perceived as somehow normal, or at the most extreme, ‘tolerated’. -
2021
Essential Workers
While the pandemic is still going strong, this type of post reflects some of the aftermath of the pandemic. Restrictions have loosened in enough places that people are able to return to restaurants, but there are still so many challenges and obstacles these essential workers are having to face. This picture left an impression on me because it is enforcing that sense of community and having to stick together to make it through these strange times. -
2020-12-03
COVID-19 Restrictions in Puerto Rico in English in December 2020
From the "Friends of Rincon" Facebook page, Marysol Cuevas, a realtor in Rincon, shares the December 2020 Covid-19 restrictions in English. The comments show that people were grateful to have access to the new restrictions in English. The restrictions read: 🏠 Curfew is from 9pm until 5am. Sunday is a "lock-down" day - you are only permitted out for emergencies 🍺 Dry-law (no alcohol sales) in effect 5am Saturdays until 7am Mondays. Restaurants are permitted to serve alcohol at tables on Saturdays 🛒 On Sundays, only supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, hardware stores, a... -
2021-09-27
Garima Sehgal Oral History, 2021/09/27
Two Northeastern students discuss how the pandemic affected their lives, including the impacts of the pandemic on their communities -
2021-09-17
Ariel Emrani and Kate Roche Oral History, 2021/09/17
This audio file shares two perspectives and personal stories about the pandemic. -
2021-08-19
abundalacaca
I didn't get to see my friends cause of covid. -
2020-08-24
Aerobics Oz Style
During Melbourne stage 4 lockdown we were limited to only 1 hour of exercise outdoors each day. I usually do significantly more than this so was looking for activities to do in my very small apartment. Channel 10 released via their app a whole bunch of old Aerobics Oz Style videos from the 90s so I started doing those. This is a picture of Anton, who I remembered from watching the program occasionally as a child. -
2020-09-15
Banner Health eases visitor restrictions to allow for one visitor per patient per day in most in-patient areas of Arizona hospitals.
A press release stating that Banner Health changed its visitor restrictions at hospitals in the metropolitan Phoenix, Tucson and Casa Grande areas. -
2020-10-01
Patient companions allowed at Banner ambulatory facilities
A press release describing how " Banner Health further modified its visitor restrictions to allow patients at Banner ambulatory settings, such as clinics, surgery centers and urgent cares, to have a companion (family member or friend) accompany them on the visit. Patient companions are also now permitted at Banner hospitals for patients in the emergency room or receiving outpatient treatment." -
2020-11-18
Banner Health Update in Colorado
Banner Health enhances visitor restrictions in Northern Colorado. Restrictions now to include locations in addition to hospitals -
2021-06-19
Museum of the San Ramon Valley
The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is well on its way to being back to normal. On June 15th, California officially reopened, which amongst other things meant there were no restrictions on how museums could operate. This means we can finally operate at full capacity. Even when we could only operate at 25 percent capacity we never hit our upper limit of guests, so capacity wasn't ever really a problem. That is something that concerns me as the museum reopens; that we will have low attendance. I was able to work at the museum a few times in the middle of the pandemic, and I never worked a day where we had more than thirty total guests (including people who were merely looking for a restroom or asking for directions to something, who did not pay to look at the exhibits - we had probably no more than 20 or so paying customers per day). We also don't need to impose mask mandates as of June 15, but the museum's board of directors decided to keep our mask mandate. However, if someone comes in without a mask and doesn't want to take a free one then we will still allow them into the museum. I am not concerned by this because I am vaccinated, and even if I wasn't there is a very low likelihood of getting sick. We have not done any exhibits related to COVID yet. Starting last year and continuing this year we have an exhibit on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, with a focus on our local area. This is in addition to our regular exhibits. Starting today (June 19) we also have our train exhibit for a month, which is a model train display with models of local historical buildings (and other things, like a UFO and more non-history-related things). The model train exhibit always brings in little kids with their families, so hopefully that improves museum attendance. Most of our attendance comes from families with little kids, older Baby Boomers, and the elderly. The museum needs to improve on attracting people in their teens and twenties in order to earn more. Hopefully, a COVID exhibit can do that by making history more personal. On our website, we have a story collection form for people to share stories of COVID, much like JOTPY, but I do not know what we will be doing with those responses. When I physically work at the museum next I have a bunch of items from last year (inspirational painted rocks, city council and school board campaign materials, masks) that I will donate, and hopefully, those and other items find their way into an exhibit. -
2021-06-03
Tempe Public Schools no longer requires face masks
My daughter is attending 3 weeks of summer school for PACE training. It's basically a test to determine if your child deserves extra resources for gifted students. When she goes to campus on Monday, she won't need a mask unless she's within 3 feet of other students. It's incredible to see how dramatically policies and infection rates have shifted behaviors. The vaccine seems to be keeping infection rates low. She has the chance to regain a little bit of normalcy. -
2021-05-03
ICU Change.org Petition during COVID
I’m in a mom group on Facebook where this was shared. The woman who began the petition outlines her struggle with her husband’s traumatic workplace injury and how their lives and his recovery is impacted by the ICU’s COVID rules. There are also many comments by petition signers who believe COVID restrictions do more harm than good.