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2023-08-30COVID paranoia alive and well in 2023
At a stop light this morning, my attention was grabbed by a car with lots of writing on it. I wish I could have gotten a picture, but the light turned green before I could. The car message was about Marxism and how fear controls its movement. The message expressed that recent events have all been staged in order to control society and went on to predict that mask mandates would be back on September 15. The message ended by encouraging people to resist the future mandate in order to retain control of our society. I was very intrigued to see that there are some people who are still very vocal about topics such as this and very loudly are telling people not to live in fear when they are the only ones who seem to be living in fear these days. I read a hashtag on their car and looked it up when I got home. This page belongs to a person (or movement) that is very anti-mask, anti-covid vaccine, and anti-mandates. They are part of the extreme right politically and very religious. I’m curious to see if anything were to happen on the 15th and if not, how this page will respond to the “normality” of September 15. I guess we’ll see in two weeks. -
April 19, 2020In Memory of Richard Sturges
My dad passed away a week ago today after contracting COVID-19 in a SI nursing home and transferring to SIUH. When we first learned of my dad’s diagnosis in the nursing home, his doctor prescribed him hydroxychloroquin which he had been using with good results on other patients. However upon trying to fill the prescription learned that the NY Health Dept under order by the Governor, had restricted the use of this drug to hospital patients only. You can imagine our dismay to learn this and our family immediately jumped into action contacting every state legislator about this horrific restriction on the elderly and nursing homes. The two who stepped forward to answer our calls and hear our concerns were Borough President Oddo and State Senator Lanza and they made many calls on our behalf. Before long the restriction on nursing homes was lifted, hopefully before too many lives were lost, but the ban remains on any other New Yorker who tests positive and is not hospitalized. My brother and sister, along with their spouses, have now tested positive. Two of them are first responders and had a lot of difficulty getting tested. I have been staying with and caring for my mom through this time and fortunately we have managed to avoid contracting this virus, so far. My dad was buried 2 days after he died. The Navy showed up to play taps and present my mother with a flag “on behalf of the President and a grateful nation”, my dad would have liked that. The picture is attached and I think says a thousand words. Only my siblings and mother were allowed to attend the burial, a funeral is not allowed at this time. We all wore masks and stood apart from each other and afterwards drove home to our separate houses…truly heartbreaking. The fact that my dad was isolated for weeks before his passing is the hardest thing for my mom to bear. They are lifelong Staten Islanders and this is their story…. Thank you. -
2020-12
Hawaii - December 2020
In March of 2020 my family and I were supposed to go to Hawaii for our spring break. When I was at work around St. Patrick's day, the school administration announced that all sports were postponed because of covid-19. A couple of days later I found out that we would be moving to virtual learning until spring break. During this time I remained hopeful that we would be back in the classroom after the break and that I would still be able to visit Hawaii. As the weeks went on it became clear that this was not the case. Eventually we moved to permanent virtual learning and the airlines canceled and refunded my ticket for Hawaii. As 2020 continued on I became more and more frustrated over the impact of covid, especially as what seemed like 3 weeks at home, turned in to several months without travel and in person interaction. In December of 2020, after completing a semester of half virtual, half in person learning I was in need of a break and a change of scenery. On Christmas my family and I found really cheap flights to Hawaii, however these flights were leaving the next day. Since I was a teacher on Christmas Break I had the time off, the only issue was that we needed to get a negative covid test before landing in Maui. We quickly booked the flights and scrambled to find a place we could get a covid test. In order to get off of the plane in Hawaii we needed to take a covid test 12 hours before arrival and our results needed to be negative. We did not have enough time before our flight to have a test shipped to our house nor did we have enough time to wait 2-3 days for results. Luckily we found a place 45 minutes from where we lived that had an opening for four rapid tests. After acquiring our test, 18 hours before our flight we eagerly awaited the results. All four of us had a negative test and we were able to board our flight to Hawaii. When we landed in Hawaii, in order to get off of the plane we had to show our negative test results. If someone did not have test results they had to remain on the plane and wait for it to return to the mainland. After showing our tests, we had our temperatures taken again and and our visit, including our accommodations, had to registered. The remainder of our trip to Hawaii was relaxing. Although it was weird to walk on the beach with a mask and sit far away from other guests, it was nice to get away. While we were in Hawaii I remember talking to a waitress we had that explained that from March to July residents were not allowed to enjoy the beaches. She described how lonely and isolated she felt stuck in her small apartment by herself. Even though it was difficult to get to Hawaii during covid, we needed a getaway and the hospitality workers in Hawaii were glad to see things slowly picking up again. -
05/25/2022Javier Echeverria Hernández Oral History, 2022/05/25
En esta entrevista Javier Hernández Echeverria es entrevistado por Carmen Kordick Coury concerniente al covid-19 en Costa Rica. Para empezar, hablan de los cambios que habían pasado desde el año anterior. Hablan de la situación en cuenta la pandemia y el programa de la vacunación. Hablan de la gente que aun no se han vacunado por falta de querer. Habla del camino a la normalidad, el uso de mascarillas, del gobierno, y nuevos candidatos. De allí hablan de su vida social, y el concierto de Cold Play. De La Caja, las elecciones, y el seguro social. Otra ves vuelven al tema de las vacunas, de gente que no se quiere vacunarse, de la familia de Javier y las noticias falsas. Habla sobre su vida ya jubilado, de la economía y inflación y gente sin trabajo. Para terminar, hablan de fuentes de información, de las elecciones y el nuevo gobierno. Al final habla del futuro. -
2022-02-04HIST30060: Canberra Test Centre
This photograph depicts negative popular responses towards public messaging about the pandemic. On the Canberran road sign, a sticker reads, “The media is (the virus) lying to you. Turn off your tell lie vision.” At the bottom of the corner, a sign points towards a PCR test centre. This photograph was taken in February 2022. It is likely that this sticker was posted by a Freedom Rally protester. In January 2022, the Freedom Rally attracted thousands of protesters to Canberra in protest of the government’s response to the pandemic. The “Canberra Convoy” drove from all parts of the country to protest in front of parliament house. While the protesters’ concerns primarily revolved around the vaccination mandate and media censorship, the movement evolved to include all manner of political concerns, including housing affordability, the rising mental health crisis, religious freedoms et cetera. This photograph illustrates how the government measures and media coverage of the pandemic were not universally accepted but rather hotly contested in some places. The Freedom Rally, for example, attracted over 100,000 people to the nation’s capital. The photograph further shows popular anger towards the media coverage of the pandemic. The Australian Broadcasting Channel in particular attracted the ire of the anti-vaccination and anti-mandate movement for contributing towards increased fear of the virus and support for the vaccine. -
2021Changes in the House--Anti-Vaccine Mandate Bill
South Carolina House changes its rules and advanced a bill against the federal vaccine mandate. On December 9th, 2021, the House Ways and Means Committee amended House Bill H. 3126 that blocks employers in state and local governments and school districts from firing or suspending unvaccinated employees. House Bill H.3126 will make workers who were fired or suspended due to their unvaccinated status eligible for unemployment benefits. This bill would also allocated $10 million dollars to the department of Health and the Medical University of South Carolina to fund COVD-19 testing for private employers. The House Republicans argue that an employer's right to fire an unvaccinated employee is "discriminatory" in nature. They also attest that private businesses and public offices cannot mandate an "unlawful" mandate that violates the individual freedoms of employees. Thus, the House Bill H.3126 signifies a growing concern of individual autonomy in the State. As the pandemic continues to variate and spread, some civilians feel that COVID-19 protection should stop at the doorstep of private business owners. As Republican Russell Ott argued, South Carolina now faces the possibility of growing liability lawsuits if this law is passed. While this bill may protect employees, it would not protect employers and private business owners from being sued in the event that one of their employees contracted COVID-19 and passed it to a consumer. -
2022-06-06Arkansas Prisoners and COVID Relief Payments
This article details a court ruling that requires the Arkansas Department of Corrections to pay out over $2.5 million dollars in withheld COVID relief money from the federal government. When COVID stimulus relief checks were rolled out, any money going to those incarcerated in Arkansas was immediately confiscated by the Arkansas Department of Corrections and placed within the state prison budget. Several inmates then sued the Department of Corrections demanding the payment of their stimulus. While the Department of Corrections alleged that they were entitled to the money due to the inmates being under their jurisdiction, this ruling requires the immediate repayment of all stimulus money. This story demonstrates not only a conflict within the Arkansas prison system, but also the tremendous legal questions the pandemic opened as well as the questionable conduct spurred by government officials in response. -
2022-06-10Arkansas prison doctors and ivermectin
This is a story detailing Arkansas' Medical Board dismissing charges against a Washington County prison doctor for treating prisoners with ivermectin. Arkansas' Medical Board has not explicitly denounced the drug as a treatment for COVID-19, and many physicians prescribe the drug. This particular physician treated several unknowing prisoners with ivermectin in order to combat rising covid cases in the Washington County Jail in April. This dismissal of charges by the Medical Board reveals a deeper skepticism of the pandemic in Arkansas and a willingness of the board to allow physicians to treat their patients as they ultimately see fit with minimal regulations. I feel it also reveals a deeper understanding of Arkansas' prison system due to the prisoners not being informed of what was given to them, and therefore without consent. -
2022-07-11COVID Cases Once Again On the Rise in Arkansas
This article details a recent surge in Arkansas COVID cases. The shocking nature of the rise is the fact that the state's active cases jumped from 197 to 15,125 in a single day. I think this primarily demonstrates the state and the world's rush to reopen, particularly keeping in mind the July 4th holiday, have allowed a sense of deep comfort. However, this comfort can be deadly when individuals who are feeling unwell fail to take precautions to assure the health and safety of themselves and others. While it is encouraging to see life return to a sense of normalcy, this shows that the pandemic is still a present part of our lives. -
2022-06-17Victoria pressed to scrap two-jab Covid vaccine mandate amid worker shortage
This is a news story from The Guardian by Adeshola Ore. The Victorian government has been pressed to stop the two-jab vaccine mandate due to a worker shortage. "While some industry groups have called for the two-dose mandate to be abolished to help ease the skilled workers shortage, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said the decision was up to health officials." "Almost 95% of Victorians aged over 12 have received two doses of a Covid vaccine." -
2020-05-23T09Sampling a dystopian world
We lived in a very town in western Illinois as the pandemic arrived in America. Covid-19 seemed abstract until circumstances caused us to travel to a major international airport. The eerie quiet, in place of what should have been a noisy, madcap atmosphere, elevated sounds I normally would not have heard. It was as if a scene from a science fiction film had jumped off the screen and into my life. The experience had a nightmarish quality that has stayed with me two years later. -
2022-05-19Everything You Need to Know About DC Black Pride 2022
This is a news story from Metro Weekly by Joseph Reberkenny. For the first time since COVID started, DC Black Pride will be back in-person. It is organized by the Center for Black Equity and it includes over 25 events highlighting the Black LGBTQ community in Washington. During the height of the COVID outbreak, the Center for Black Equity held events online instead. The organizers say that in-person events are special for this community and has planned safety precautions for people attending. There will be things like masks available at the event in addition to rapid test kits. -
2022-05-21Arizona governor OK’s ban on school COVID-19 vaccines
This is a news story from Fox 10 News by Bob Christie. Governor Doug Ducey has recently signed legislation that would prevent state health officials from adding COVID-19 vaccines to list of required school vaccines. This legislation was done by the GOP to prevent government overreach. -
2022-05-09Brett Reinert Oral History, 2022/05/09
Brett Reinert is from Springdale, Arkansas. He works at a toner company as a deliverer. He delivers copier toner for a small business in Northwest, Arkansas. Brett talks about his home state of Arkansas and how the state government reacts differently to the pandemic. Brett and his family take the pandemic very seriously and made sure that his two grandmothers are not exposed to it. Brett also talked about his observation of the changes around him as many restaurants in the state started to require a proof of vaccination to eat in. And the changes with the requirement of masks felt weird to him. Although there were changes, he has seen what the pandemic brought to his life and the people around him, he hopes that people will take the pandemic seriously if we experience another one in the future -
2022-05-06Plastic bag ban stalls in Chihuahua, a casualty of the pandemic
This is a news story from El Paso Matters. This story is about Mexico's environmental issues that have risen due to COVID. In August 2019, Chihuahua became the latest state to ban single-use plastic bags. This changed with COVID, when household and medical waste rose to 80,000 tons per day. Fines for violating Chihuahua’s plastic bag ban range from 2,000 Mexican pesos ($97) to 250,000 pesos ($12,200). But authorities have refrained from enforcing it, noting that single-use items were necessary to meet coronavirus safety requirements. The pandemic’s negative impact on the economy and available workforce also presented obstacles, says Gilberto Wenglas Lara, director of ecology at the Ministry of Urban Development and Ecology. -
2020-05-18Essential Worker Hard Hat Sticker
The attached picture is a part of my story during the pandemic. I work in the semi-conductor industry at a site that makes a large amount of important computer chips that are vital throughout the world. Our site was experiencing the pandemic just like everyone else, parallel to a time when everything we manufactured was in extreme demand due to many people working from home, schools teaching from a distance, cars needing chips, and medical equipment in high demand. It was absolutely critical that our site continued to operate safely and could not shut down. Our site and corporate managers made policies to ensure that only the minimum number of critical employees were on site to limit the chances of COVID-19 transmission, while following state-mandated essential rules during the early pandemic shutdowns. I was given a form to travel with and this sticker, additionally our badges would not let us in the site without specific essential worker access. This sticker is a daily reminder of what a crazy time I was part of, working on our site with minimal people pulling together to enable people to have the technology the needed to keep the world moving, from home... -
2020-04-24Gluten-Free Vegan Perogies
My fiancé is vegan, so it's hard to find comfort foods that are also vegan and gluten-free. We spent a lot of quarantine days finding and messing around recipes that were gluten-free. We eventually ended up making the recipe, and even though the perogies were a little thick on the dough side (gluten-free dough can annoyingly do this sometimes). Many days were spent with my fiancé that I cherished, even though we never knew when I was going back to work. During this time, I'm sure most people felt like this. I think what was important was the reset we got when the stay-at-home orders were put into place. I think it made everyone realize the things we took for granted and the people that we saw every day. -
2021-04-28I thought COVID mandates were over
Living in Arizona life has been “normal” for months. I got rid of all the masks in my house, I stopped obsessively sanitizing my hands (I still use it from time to time) and life has kind of just continued. We’ve found this new normal that most are good with, I randomly see people wearing masks but they are definitely not the majority. I thought COVID mandates were a thing of the past, until I went to California. I grew up in the LA area and had seen how different the two states are when I moved. Nothing has made that difference more notable than COVID though. It’s a different world here in California. The first day here I had to buy masks for my family and I. My daughters thankfully reverted to “COVID mode” quite quickly. I see how life has continued in Arizona and wonder how and when California will make that transition. -
2022-03-27American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #18
This is the eighteenth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 27, 2022, positive cases have risen to 3381 from 2953 on March 25, 2022. -
2022-03-25American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #17
This is the seventeenth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 25, 2022, positive cases have risen to 2953 from 1932 on March 22, 2022. On this report, a number of 7 individuals are hospitalized to covid and there is 1 death related to COVID-19. -
2022-03-22American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #16
This is the sixteenth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 22, 2022, positive cases have risen to 1932 from 1565 on March 21, 2022. -
2022-03-21American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #15
This is the fifteenth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 21, 2022, positive cases have risen to 1565 from 1188 on March 17, 2022. -
2022-03-17American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #14
This is the fourteenth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 17, 2022, positive cases have risen to 1188 from 433 on March 10, 2022. -
2022-03-10American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #13
This is the thirteenth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 10, 2022, positive cases have risen to 433 from 343 on March 9, 2022. The DOH advised that elders are strongly recommended to get the booster shot. -
2022-03-09American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #12
This is the twelfth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 9, 2022, positive cases have risen to 343 from 291 on March 7, 2022. The people of American Samoa are still advised to get their vaccine shots and booster shot. The numbers jumped by 52 cases after two days. The report also shows how many doses of vaccine and booster were administered. -
2022-03-07American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #11
This is the eleventh report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 7, 2022, positive cases have risen to 291 from 243 on March 6, 2022. The people of American Samoa are still advised to get their vaccine shots and booster shot. It is also heartwarming that within these reports that are released to the public, the DOH encourages people to send text messages, video messages, or groceries to someone who tested positive. -
2022-03-06American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #10
This is the tenth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health regarding the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 6, 2022, positive cases have risen to 243 from 229 on March 5, 2022. The people of American Samoa are still advised to get their vaccine shots and booster shot. And if they are to get tested, there are clinics on the East and West of the island to get tested if people are positive. The DOH released these reports daily or weekly to inform the public about the number of cases on the island. -
2022-03-05American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #9
This is the ninth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health in regards to the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 5, 2022, positive cases have risen to 229 from 215 on March 4, 2022. -
2022-03-04American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #8
This is the eighth report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health in regards to the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 4, 2022, positive cases have risen to 215 from 154 on March 3, 2022. The DOH also changed the look of the Situational Report to show the map of American Samoa and color-coded villages with their number of cases. -
2022-03-03American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #7
This is the seventh report released by the American Samoa Department of Public Health in regards to the rise of covid cases in American Samoa. As of March 3, 2022, positive cases have risen to 154 from 135 on March 2, 2022. -
2022-02-25American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #3
This is the third report on the COVID cases in American Samoa. The public is informed to get their vaccination and booster shots and to practice good hygiene social distance and wear masks. The number of cases is now 63. -
2022-02-25American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #2
This is the second report from the American Samoa Department of Public Health in regards to reporting the number of cases in American Samoa. After a day, the number of cases jumped from 22 to 53. -
2022-02-24American Samoa COVID Cases Situational Report #1
This is a report from the American Samoa Department of Public Health in regards to reporting the number of cases American Samoa has with COVID reaching the island. Ever since cases began to rise on the island, the American Samoa Department of Public Health has been releasing these situational reports on COVID cases publicly and weekly. The importance of these reports was to keep the public inform and we could see just how fast the disease spread in a significantly high amount weekly or even in a couple of days. -
2022-04-20'More fearful than I was': At-risk immunocompromised Americans decry lifting of travel mask mandate
This is a news story from USA Today by Ella Lee. This is about pushback against the lifting of the mask mandate, as it has made immunocompromised people afraid. "Being immunocompromised, it's already a huge risk getting on a plane with everybody masked," said Derek Schmitz, 17, of Oxford, Alabama, who takes immune-suppressing arthritis medication and has to fly for work as a disability advocate. "Now, knowing that I most likely will be one of the only people on a plane with a mask is petrifying." After the lift of the mandate for planes and other public transportation was voided, ride share companies like Uber and Lyft have followed suit in removing their own mandates. "I was angry and felt hopeless," said Erin Masengale, 33, who has multiple autoimmune diseases treated by immunosuppressants. "I just want people to realize that when they cheer for the ending of protections, they’re cheering for the ending of access to everything for people like me." Under the strict definition of immunocompromised, only about 3% of Americans fit that definition. Though, the author mentions that disabled and chronically ill people, a much larger population, also face risk with the lifted mandates. The question I have for people that read this is: is it worth it to keep the mandate even though it caters to a relatively small population? Would it be wiser for people already with these ailments to mask on their own instead of mandating it for everyone else, especially if overall cases and hospitalizations are lower? These are the questions I have after reading this article. I am not against people masking when they see fit, but it is clear that these mandates have worn many people out. -
2021-11-05HERMIT HERALD, ISSUE 131
Analyzing Democratic election -
2022-04-01Doug Ford's Disaster
This is an Instagram post by deb.disaster. This user is criticizing the disaster that Doug Ford has created in Ontario regarding COVID restrictions. They believe that by lifting restrictions to cater to 10% of people in Canada that he is putting people in danger. The comic posted above shows a sandcastle (Ontario) built by Doug Ford and a giant wave (COVID) coming down to destroy it. -
2022-04-12Vacuna contra COVID19
This is an Instagram post by eldiariodetlaxcala. This is written in Spanish and is about information for people to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. This event will be held for two days. In the picture, we see volunteers working to help administer the vaccine. Only people 18 and above are eligible for this vaccine, and it is being held in Ocotlán, Tlaxcala. -
2022-04-08Our Roadmap Moving Forward
This is an Instagram post by smcpublichealth. This post is about vaccination status and the risks that they pose. Those unvaccinated are said to be highest risk. The immunocompromised are recommended to see a doctor about a fourth dose. If you are up to date on all vaccines and everyone else in the household is vaccinated, life can continue on as normal. In the hashtags below this post, it says to wear a mask, stay home when sick, and get tested. Obviously, despite it saying that those that are up to dates on vaccines and live with those also fully vaccinated are able to return to normal, culturally, I have seen some people out in public abiding by COVID restrictions. I think this is a hard habit to break, and for some, the feeling of security is worth continuing to wear a mask even if some places have already lifted mandates. My overall feeling from observing those at my own local church is that people are more lenient with mask use based on what the CDC says. A few did not wear masks despite the CDC recommendation, but once the CDC announced masks were not necessary, people at my church took them off. -
2020-07-13Covida
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2020-06-25Florida
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2022-04-07Be a Vaccine Hero
This is an Instagram post by thehesbrooklyn. This is a post encouraging children to get vaccinated. This post has a link to the New York City government website on more information on COVID. The picture shows a little girl dressed as a super hero as part of the PSA. -
2022-03-14Weak Sauce
This is an Instagram post by chrischuckry and it is a political comic on the incompetence on part of the Canadian government and the handling of the pandemic. Obby Khan, who is referenced in this post, is a Pakistani-Canadian politician. This user is accusing him of using the same excuses as Heather Stefanson, who is the premier of Manitoba, a Canadian province. The political comic is upset about politicians in Manitoba "not listening to experts" and allowing the pandemic to become more dangerous. -
2020-06-08Thank you card
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2022-03-08Florida Will Urge Parents Not To Vaccinate ‘Healthy’ Kids, Going Against CDC Advice
This is a news story from Scary Mommy, written by Lauren Levy. This story deals with Florida's position on vaccinating children and going against CDC guidelines. The author, Levy, is very against this and thinks it is irresponsible to be contrary to what the CDC suggests, claiming that it will make things more dangerous for kids if they don't take the vaccine. Some have been raising concerns that people are taking politicians words over those of doctors. Opponents have reminded parents that this is just a suggestion from Florida politicians, and not a mandate, meaning that they can discern for themselves if the vaccine is right for their kids. Ultimately, Levy believes parents should ignore what Florida politicians say and listen to doctors instead on what to do. -
2022-04-05Jerry Gryglak 'humbled' to receive Governor's Citizenship Medal for daily Reddit COVID updates
This is a news story from The Denver Gazette by Lindsey Toomer. Since June 2020, Jerry Gryglak has posted COVID updates on the subreddit r/CoronavirusColorado, and breaking down the information to be more user-friendly. This has helped Redditors get better information on the virus. Due to his diligence, Governor Jared Polis is recognizing Gryglak as one of Colorado's COVID Heroes and will get the Governor's Citizenship Medal. Gryglak left posts on Reddit with updates on deaths, hospitalizations, vaccines, and other such information. Gryglak is unsure how much longer he will be posting these updates. -
2022-04-05Big Changes to a Small Island
At the "heart" of Polynesia, (referring to its geographic location in the Polynesian triangle) American Samoa appears as another tiny dot on the map. Nevertheless, it means the WORLD to its 55,000+ people, and to some, it is all they have ever known as their home. It is also the southernmost territory of the United States (below the Equator) and the second to the last place on earth to always welcome the New Year LAST. Perhaps it coincidently depicts the slow-paced nature of the island to which many visitors claim that "it feels like time slows down", here at a piece of heaven on earth that is deeply rooted in the Christian faith and the "Fa'aSamoa", a.k.a the Samoan culture or literally, the "Samoan way of life". The people of our island are like a big tight-knitted family--we are all related anyway--when something good or bad happens on the west side of the island, news travels to the east faster or about the same as the speed of light! It has its disadvantages, but for the most part, it is a beautiful thing to see the collective reaction of our people when it is of happiness, support, and sympathy. When the coronavirus started spreading rapidly in the United States in early 2020, our territory continued its commercial flights until mid-March when Hawaii's cases started to rise. Since March 2020, our borders were closed to commercial travel for the next 11 months, not including cargo flights and ships. Residents were stuck in the States for nearly a year. The first of many repatriation flights finally began in February 2021. The repatriation flights took place once a month, during which passengers would undergo a strict process of testing and reporting, a quarantined stay in Hawaii for 12 days, and another 2-weeks quarantine upon arrival in American Samoa. Throughout all repatriation and medical flights, the quarantine process was still a requirement, which was how positive cases were caught and taken care of to prevent community spread. Fast forward to February 2022, exactly a year later, news of a COVID outbreak quickly spread when it was leaked on social media that the family of a Department of Health worker tested positive for COVID at the main hospital. The general public was seeking answers and taking their concerns on social media until later on that same evening the said family tested positive, the local news channel held a Livestream in which the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the COVID-19 Task Force officially announced the community outbreak of the virus. People rushed to the stores to buy necessities and food before the lockdown was set to begin at midnight. The lockdown was marked as Code Red, with curfews from 9pm to 4:30 am, and business hours to be from 8am to 4pm, while all government workers and non-essential employees are to stay home, except essential workers and first-responders. Students transitioned to virtual learning and now interact in class with options such as "raise hand" and/or "mute/unmute". Our people had to adjust very quickly to the new reality we now face. A small island once free with family gatherings, church services, and close human interaction as we are known for...now all of that sounds like a distant memory that will take some time to experience again. Beaches and parks used to be crowded with people and all the happiness they offer their surroundings, now empty and eerily quiet with a "CLOSED" sign nearby. We are masking up everywhere--with little to no physical interaction--so far with 4,700+ cumulative positive cases and a total loss of 7 souls, which has hit our dearest island with extreme sorrow. While the world has moved forward and learned to live with COVID, even opening back up and unmasking, our island is once again a little behind with the experience. It is only the beginning for us! Fortunately, our unwavering faith in God continues to be our ultimate Hope, along with the support of our loving families, beloved people, the United States, and our fellow Pacific islands. One thing we are sure of is that WE ARE RESILIENT PEOPLE, having overcome many challenges for centuries! This too shall pass...on the bright side, in order for it to pass, our journey with COVID had to begin. Now we must go through it, endure it, and overcome together AS one like we always do! God be with us...God IS with us. -
2022-03-10Politics wrecked America’s response to COVID. Don’t let it put transgender kids in danger, too
This is a news story from The San Francisco Chronicle, written by Stephen M. Rosenthal and Diane Ehrensaft. This is an opinion piece comparing the government response to COVID and the politics surrounding it to ruining the response. The authors warn that following politics over science is dangerous. It later goes on to talk about the anti-trans legislation being passed through different states, such as: Idaho, Texas, and Florida. The authors believe that science proves that trans kids have no real threat from puberty blockers. A study is also quoted, where it says that gender affirming care for trans youth is linked to lower instances of depression. The point of this article is not so much about COVID itself, but fear of what was done during the peak of COVID being repeated on other types of legislation, and in this case, using politics over science with trans kids. -
2020-05-09What is a mask?
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2022-03-25Virginia's Law Barring Mask Mandates Does Not Apply to 12 Children with Disabilities
A news article from NPR talks about the parents of 12 children that challenged the newly signed law by Governor Glenn Youngkin to halt the enforcement of that law because it violated the children's rights under the federal American with Disabilities Act. This law would only give parents the right to choose for their own children. The group of parents have kids with health conditions that range from asthma to cystic fibrosis, which put them at heightened risk for COVID-19. What about other kids that have health conditions that make them a heightened risk for COVID whose parents didn't say their federal rights were violated? -
2022-03-21In Hanover, the anti-LGBTQ school board needs discipline, not protesting students
This story is about the school board of Hanover County in Virginia needing discipline instead of letting it's students protest and participate in walk-outs during school hours because of the policies against their transgender students. The school board is accused of having no intentions of supporting the non-binary and transgender students of Hanover. This is important because it is once again showing discriminatory policies that the school board keeps bringing up against transgender students during the COVID-19 pandemic.