Items
Contributor is exactly
Aaron Peterka
-
2020-04-20
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: April 20 - April 28, 2020
Issued at the end of April 2020, these public health directives include guidance on staff-to-patient ratios in dialysis units, COVID-19 data accessibility, allowing certain referrals to labs conducting COVID-19 testing, and essential practices for the continued operation of farmers' markets in Massachusetts. While most of these orders highlight the virus's testing and healthcare impacts, the last ordnance reflects the careful mitigation efforts employed to ensure access to a healthy food supply. -
2020-04-04
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: April 4 - April 8, 2020
The public health directives contained in this set provide a closer look at COVID-19's impact on daily life in Massachusetts as it pertains to personal health. These orders sought to relieve the burden of prescription refills on quarantined individuals, clarify the essential practices of grocery stores, and details on the reporting COVID-19 case numbers and all relevant data. -
2020-04-03
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: April 3 - April 4, 2020
These orders offer guidance on the maximization of healthcare availability, the compounding and sale of over-the-counter hand sanitizer at pharmacies, the continued expansion of the available pool of medical personnel, and public health guidance on the operation of garden centers/nurseries as an essential service. -
2020-03-28
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 28 - April 2, 2020
These public health orders primarily address long-term care and assisted living facilities within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Specifically, they expand the number of medical personnel permitted to administer rescue inhalers and epinephrine injections in community programs, address the transfer/discharge of patients from long-term care facilities, while expanding the pool of nurses qualified to work in assisted living programs. Moreover, the orders give the Department of Public Health the authority to run criminal background checks on volunteers for MAResponds. Orders such as these detail the different ways that state governments, like Massachusetts, attempted to reinforce their healthcare system in the face of the pandemic. -
2020-03-24
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 24 - March 26 2020
Because of the coronavirus's potential to overwhelm the healthcare system at virtually every level, the Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner issued these orders to address the maintenance of adequate hospital staffing, the need for more medical personnel to perform a greater range of functions, and the steps grocery stores and pharmacies need to take to ensure customer safety. While providing a look into COVID-19's effects upon the public health system, these orders also render a snapshot into how the "new normal" began to take shape in Massachusetts. -
2020-03-23
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 23 - March 24, 2020
Contained in this set are public health orders addressing modifications to medical examiner inspections, the production and donation of hand sanitizer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the closure of day programs, and directives for pharmacies to ensure the continuation of operations and the reduction of exposure to COVID-19. These orders give testament to the drastic alterations that COVID-19 forced upon the state, as well as the country and the world, as it aimed to combat the growing crisis. -
2020-03-17
Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 17-March 18, 2020
These public health directives issued by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health reveal how the sudden health crisis forced the MA Department of Public Health to quickly adapt to a disease that had stormed the state, the country, and the world. These orders include guidance on the reassignment of physician's assistants to address the shortage of healthcare personnel, the administering of medications to treat opioid addiction due to said personnel shortage, the continuity of emergency medical services, as well as sharing of vital information with first responders. -
2020-04-06
Governor's Executive Orders: The US Virgin Islands, April and May 2020
These executive orders from the US Virgin Islands reflect the various changes wrought by COVID-19, not to mention the virus's stubborn presence, thus requiring extensions of earlier orders. Found in this set of directives dating from April and May 2020 are mandates for beach closures, extension of the V.I. safer-at-home order, and information pertaining to the virtual presentation of the annual St. Thomas Carnival. -
2020-03-20
Governor's Executive Orders: The US Virgin Islands
This set of executive directives, ordered by Governor Albert Bryan, Jr., includes suspensions of certain provisions under the Virgin Islands code, business closures and movement restrictions, as well as stay-at-home order extensions. Dated from March 20 to March 30, 2020, these documents reflect how the US Virgin Islands reacted and adapted to COVID-19's transmission by adopting mitigation efforts unique to an island environment. -
2020-03-16
Governor's Executive Orders: The Island of Guam
Ranging in date from March 16 to April 10, 2020, these executive orders proclaimed by the Governor of Guam detail that island's reaction to COVID-19's appearance there. These documents cover topics such as road accessibility for essential businesses and public health emergency operations, social distancing/isolation and clarifications of what is an essential and non-essential business, as well as telehealth expansion, and eviction/price gouging prohibitions during the public health emergency. -
2020-03-17
Governor's Executive Orders: The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands
With COVID-19 spreading to every corner of the globe, a patchwork of responses emerged, especially in the United States, where the counties, states, and even the overseas territories crafted their own pandemic counter-measures. These two amended executive orders issued by the Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (Tinian, Rota, and Saipan), outline the actions taken by this US commonwealth in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, including various directives designed to "ameliorate and mitigate" the fallout brought on by the disease's spread. -
2020-03-16
Starkey, Inc During the Pandemic: How a Kansas Special Needs Community Responded to COVID-19
This series of emails from March through May of 2020 details the measures taken by Starkey, a Wichita, Kansas, adult special needs community living program, to safeguard their vulnerable residents from infection. Among the topics covered in this set are protective measures, social distancing, day program closures, containment of COVID outbreaks in the residencies, and Starkey's phased plan for gradually returning their community members (known as "persons-served" in the documents) to a semblance of normalcy. Moreover, these emails provide a glimpse into how individual businesses and essential services reacted and adjusted to Kansas's statewide directives. -
2020-06-21
And the Crowd Goes...Silent: Football Returns to the UK
All across the globe, COVID-19 forced sports leagues and tournaments to shut down completely, from Major League Baseball, the NBA, and NHL in the USA, to the the various football leagues in Europe. Not even the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were spared, as the IOC announced the Games' postponement until 2021. This photo captures the June return of the English Premier League following its March shutdown, with a match between Liverpool and Everton F.C. broadcasted on NBC. Like the German Bundesliga, players competed in silent stadiums filled with empty seats and strict testing in order to minimize exposure to the virus and prevent a mass outbreak among players and the surrounding community. To enhance the viewing experience, NBC superimposed crowd noise onto the match, although viewers could download an app to opt out of this feature if they so wished. Also, note the players' jerseys, which read "Black Lives Matter," a reflection of the push for racial justice that spread across the world amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. -
2020-06-08
A Clean Bill of Health And Ready To Go
The USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Carrier Strike Group prepares to weigh anchor after completing the Navy's mandatory 14-day pre-deployment quarantine; a measure put in place to prevent outbreaks like the one that sidelined the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Harry S. Truman could not return to port on the East Coast until the Nimitz had completed these added precautions. -
2020-06-10
A Carrier's Plight with COVID-19
This screenshot shows a Navy medical technician conducting a COVID test in front of what appears to be the docked USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). Forced to make an emergency disembarkation at Naval Base Guam in the early days of the pandemic, the ship found itself ravaged by the virus, which swept through its departments and corridors with alarming speed, prompting its commander, Captain Brett Crozier, to order the crew off the warship; an action that combined with a pointed (and public) memo to superiors that ultimately lead to his dismissal. -
2020-06-12
Containing COVID-19 aboard the USS Kidd
After having been briefly attached to the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, the USS Kidd encountered a coronavirus outbreak on board while conducting operations off the coast of South America in April 2020. This screenshot of a posted dated June 12 provides a glimpse into the Navy's early attempts to combat the disease's spread before it could potentially cripple the vessel. Also note the face mask covering the eagle's beak on the US Navy emblem in the upper left corner. -
2020-06-05
Bumpin' Arms with the SECNAV
Secretary Braithwaite welcomes home this aircraft maintenance technician from Attack Fighter Squadron 211 with an arm bump greeting to minimize the risk of exposure. All those present for the Secretary's address to the Truman's crew wear face coverings, especially given the outbreaks the Navy has struggled to contain on board several of their deployed vessels. Nevertheless, social distancing proved to be difficult on board ship. -
2020-06-05
Welcoming Aboard the SECNAV
Masked up and spaced apart, the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) welcomes Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite aboard after they dropped anchor at the Norfolk Navy Yard following a 5-month tour of duty to the Middle East theater of operations and a 2-month "sustainment cruise) off the Virginia coast. The Truman remained at sea after the conclusion of their Middle Eastern cruise due to COVID-19 concerns and the need for deploying carrier groups to quarantine before getting underway and replacing the Truman in the Navy's operational rotation. -
2020-04-05
Joint DOD-USAF Guidance on the Use of Cloth Face Covers
These documents outline the proper use of cloth face masks on US military installations per the US Department of Defense and the Department of the Air Force. Also included is a memo to all personnel at Joint Base San Antonio (Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph AFBs, and Martindale Army Airfield) from the base commander addressing the DOD's COVID-19 responses, and how they will be implemented on base. This resource also includes a tutorial on how to wear and create homemade PPE. -
2020-02-25
DOD Memorandum Addressing Military-specific COVID-19 counter-measures for Military Base Commanders
Although the DOD followed CDC health guidelines, more military-specific responses needed implementation for US military personnel and bases. This memo from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness lists for base commanders such responses and the applicable conditions under which they must be taken. -
2020-04-20
DOD Memo on COVID-19 Travel Restrictions in the US Armed Forces
This document, generated by the Department of Defense and signed by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, cancels certain references from previous memos and extends DOD travel restrictions guidance through June 30, 2020. Also included are certain exemptions to the aforementioned restrictions. Nevertheless, these modifications to the Secretary of Defense's original "stop-movement order" were intended to halt the virus's growing spread by freezing most US military and DOD personnel's travel to US military facilities around the world. -
2020-06-13
As the Army Goes Rolling Along
Recalled to campus for the annual commencement ceremony by order of the commander-in-chief, these West Point cadets march out onto the green wearing face masks to prevent infection. Just days before the ceremony, a number of cadets tested positive for the virus, underscoring the reality that no place is out of COVID-19's long reach. -
2020-05-28
All-Americans Battle for the Best Burger
Throughout its storied history, the 82nd Airborne Division prevailed over the Nazis in World War II, tangled with the Viet Cong in Vietnam's verdant jungles, clawed through Afghanistan's Hindu Kush Mountains, and twice stormed across Iraq's desolate deserts. Now the "All-Americans" soldier on in the face of a global pandemic that has shuttered businesses and sealed off bases like Fort Bragg from the outside world, but despite all of this, there is one thing COVID-19 cannot disrupt: the time-honored divisional "Battle of the Burgers" contest. -
2020-06-16
Army Teleconference
With in-person meetings restricted, the US military switched to video conferences to conduct business, like this live streaming teleconference posted on the Army's Facebook page. A reflection of the Digital Age's technological acceleration, these four officers, one of whom is a major general, discuss in real time updates to the Army's Combat Fitness Test, all the while avoiding exposure to themselves or their fellow soldiers. Since the pandemic erupted upon the global landscape, video conferencing has proven to be invaluable in the struggle to continue day-to-day functions, as schools, universities, businesses, companies, and military bases all sealed their environs. -
2020-06-16
Masks On the March
This private first class deploys the US military's newest weapon, as the Army continues to train to fight the enemies of the future while defending against an enemy it cannot see. Prior to the pandemic, mask-wearing proved exceptionally rare in the USA, but with no mitigation effort being spared in the quest to arrest COVID-19's global march, both civilians and soldiers alike rely on them to keep the contagion at bay. -
2020-06-16
The Screaming Eagles Rendezvous with Temp Checks
This screenshot of the 101st Airborne Division's (Air Assault) Facebook page reveals some of the counter-measures the US Army is taking against COVID-19. These soldiers of the 2nd BCT (Brigade Combat Team) undergo temperature checks before a training exercise, even though some medical professionals had voiced concerns about the reliability of handheld temperature guns. Furthermore, this image also reflects how the Army is continuing to maintain their training regimen and rotation schedule in the face of the pandemic, as these soldiers prepare to embark for the JRTC at Fort Polk, Louisiana, a state that had been a COVID hot spot just weeks earlier. -
2020-06-13
West Point's COVID Class of 2020
Despite New York's distinction as the nation's first major COVID-19 epicenter, and the US Military Academy's decision to depopulate their campus during the pandemic, the President of the United States insisted upon an in-person graduation ceremony, even though countless high schools and universities had shifted to virtual commencements to safeguard against a viral outbreak. Nevertheless, the soon-to-be-commissioned 2nd lieutenants maintained social distancing throughout the official ceremony, as is seen here during the president's commencement address. Throughout the pandemic, public health officials have warned against large gatherings due to their proclivity for easy and rapid coronavirus transmission, but that did not stop this president from ordering this commencement or planning mass political rallies. -
2020-06-15
Civilians and Soldiers on COVID-19's Frontlines
US Army medics and healthcare personnel depart a New York hospital after having spent weeks assisting hospital staff in the relentless fight to halt and treat COVID-19 in virus-besieged New York City. Although the virus appeared to have subsided in the city at the time of this farewell ceremony, the omnipresent threat of infection still loomed large. -
2020-06-16
Adapt and Overcome - Army Classroom Instruction in the age of the Coronavirus
Strict social distancing being practiced at this BLC (Basic Leadership Course) at Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico on June 16, 2020. -
2020-06-13
Training During a Pandemic
This US Army explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technician keeps up with qualifications, while the supervising officer dons a regulation anti-virus mask to limit the spread of COVID-19 on base. -
2020-06-04
Masked Up and Ready to Roll
This soldier in the Army's 1015th Engineer Detachment at Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, operates what appears to be a M977 HEMTT (Heavily Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck) while sporting a camouflaged mask; a feature more and more common on US military bases as it seeks to balance operational readiness with COVID-19 safety precautions. -
2020-06-16
Social Distancing in Action at Camp Santiago
Given the enclosed nature of US military bases, the Department of Defense ordered the same COVID-19 mitigation measures taking root in the civilian world to be enacted on installations across the globe. These soldiers at the US Army's Joint Training Center maintain social distancing during an evaluation of some sort at Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico. -
2020-06-01
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 35
Following the announcement of Massachusetts's reopening, this order, signed by Governor Baker on June 1, 2020, clarified the details as to how the state would progress. While some states attempted to rush their reopening in a bid for a quick economic revival, Governor Baker and his team of advisors opted for a much slower and methodical approach, especially given Massachusetts's high number of COVID-19 cases and the correspondingly high death toll. Northeastern University Northeastern University -
2020-05-18
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 33
As states came under pressure to reopen their economies despite the pandemic's continued presence, the Governor's Office unveiled this phased reopening plan that sought to slowly revive the economy while imposing safety measures to guard the public's health. Northeastern University -
May 18, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 34
As Massachusetts began its slow reopening process, the Governor allowed for beaches to reopen to a certain spectrum of "passive recreational activities." However, state authorities retained the power to limit the size of crowds and ensure social distancing. -
May 15, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 32
Governor Charlie Baker's extension of the state lock down to May 19, 2020. As Massachusetts prepared to follow other states by gradually reopening its economy, the governor issued this order as part of "a measured relaxation of currently existing restrictions." -
May 1, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 31
This order required that all residents of the state above the age of 2 years must wear a face mask/covering, either inside or outside, when social distancing is not possible. As scientists raced to understand COVID-19's transmission, the medical community's stance on face masks gradually shifted. In the early days of the pandemic, physicians and public health officials advised against the use of masks, citing their relative ineffectiveness, only to do an about-face a couple of months later by stressing their importance in cutting down on the airborne contagions that allow the virus to jump from person-to-person. -
April 28, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 30
Effective on April 28, 2020, this measure extended the state's lock down by maintaining the closure of certain non-essential workplaces, as well as the prohibition on gathering of 10 people or more. -
April 28, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 29
A revision of a previous COVID order allowing the Governor's Council to engage in remote participation. -
April 16, 2020
Massachusetts Executive Order - 4/16/2020
This executive order authorized the creation of emergency residential and emergency placement programs for children during the course of the COVID-19 emergency. -
April 9, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 24
Order effective on April 9, 2020, that permitted graduate and senior level nursing students to begin practicing; a direct reflection of the dire need for qualified medical personnel to be on hand for the surge of COVID cases that could potentially overwhelm the state's hospital system. -
April 9, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 25
In an effort to expand citizens' access to medical services, Governor Baker signed this order so as to require all major health insurers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to cover any and all medical services related to COVID-19. -
March 26, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 17
This order suspends deadlines related to state permits and extends existing permits' validity. Northeastern JOTPY -
March 26, 2020
Massachusetts COVID-19 Order No. 18
One of Governor Charlie Baker's early executive orders extending licenses, permits, and registrations not already covered by previous orders. This highlights the importance of ensuring that all essential services and operations were able to function with little to no interruption during the pandemic. -
March 20, 2020
Massachusetts Executive Order Reducing In-Person Transactions at the DMV
Signed on March 20,2020, this executive order sought to reinforce the state's social distancing measures by reducing the level of contact between people at the Department of Motor Vehicles. -
March 20, 2020
Massachusetts Executive Order Permitting the Deferral of Certain Real Estate Inspections
This executive order signed by Governor Baker on March 20, 2020, permitted the deferral of real estate inspections during home sales or transfers, thereby placing the responsibility of equipping the dwelling with proper alarms/detection systems on the buyer and not the seller. -
03/23/2020
Massachusetts Executive COVID-19 Order No. 13
This order limited gatherings of 10 or more and closed non-essential services, while mandating the continued operations of all essential operations. Signed by Governor Baker on March 23, 2020, the order sought to "minimize all unnecessary activities outside of the home during the state of emergency." -
March 18, 2020
Massachusetts Executive Order Closing Child Care Programs and Authorizing the Creation of Emergency Measures
Signed by Governor Baker on March 18, 2020, this executive order sought to mitigate the virus's spread by closing all child care facilities in the state; a necessary step according to health officials, since COVID-19 easily spread from asymptomatic children to adults. -
06/05/2020
A Tale of Two Pandemics
Declaring that being "pro-Black is not anti-White" while memorializing the names of African-Americans who have fallen victim to police brutality and racism, this homemade protest poster in a west Wichita, Kansas, neighborhood reflects the civil unrest roiling the country amidst the omnipresent COVID-19 pandemic. On June 2, just three days before this image was taken, a BLM protest organized less than a mile from this neighborhood as part of a wave of demonstrations involving thousands of citizens that rolled across Wichita. Many demonstrators wore masks as a precaution against the COVID-19 virus, but many more did not, despite Kansas's slow but steady increase in COVID cases. Large gatherings, such as the racial justice protests that have spread across the USA and the world, have unnerved public health officials, who fear that a lack of social distancing and proper protective measures will only exacerbate an already insidious disease's ruthless transmission. -
March 12, 2020
Massachusetts Executive Order Regarding the Suspension of certain Open Meeting Law Provisions
This executive order, signed by Governor Baker on March 12th, 2020, relieves a "public body" from conducting its business in an openly accessible meeting place in favor of "adequate, alternative means," particularly remote options. Yet another mitigation effort, this order also reveals how Massachusetts, and society in general, had to adapt to strict social distancing measures in order to carry on day-to-day operations.