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Date is exactly
2022-03-17
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2022-03-17
American 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. -
2022-03-17
Working Remotely, Some Transgender People Saw an Opportunity to Change
This is a news story from the New York Times by Jenny Gross and Alyssa Lukpat. This story is about people that have transitioned during COVID, or before that, and their work experiences. Some of the data present is interesting to look at. In 2021, healthcare providers reported a stronger demand for confirmation surgeries compared to 2020 when many elective surgeries were postponed. Though, demand was even higher in 2021 compared to 2019, before the pandemic. Some doctors say that this influx is partly due to surgeries being postponed, but there are other explanations. At Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, the Center for Transgender medicine and surgery performed a total of 938 surgeries in 2021, 60 percent more than the previous year, and 43 percent higher than 2019. While there is this influx, the story links to a YouGov poll showing that many Americans are still divided on if others should be legally allowed to switch their sex. The article then goes on to discuss other inequalities trans people face, such as earning 32 percent less than the general population. Trans people are also twice as likely to be unemployed compared to the general population. Later on, there is a discussion on what trans people face in the workforce. Even in more liberal and progressive work environments, some trans people still report feeling unsafe working in person. There are complaints that diversity training in the workplace focuses mainly on gays, but glosses over trans people and their issues. Other trans people, like Rae Lee, fears she will be fired if she came out to public administrators. Working from home has allowed Rae Lee to feel safer. -
2022-03-17
Working Through The Pandemic
Going through the Covid-19 pandemic is truly a test of endurance and adaptability. Wearing masks, sanitizing everything, and social distancing with the hopes these efforts help slow or help communities manage the virus was always talked about and put into action in day to day life as the new normal. I wasn’t concerned at all about the virus as I am pretty germophobic normally, always trying to sanitize my hands and surfaces that I want to involve myself with because of past experiences with being sick. When I got sick, I got sick hard, and I wasn’t about to take a chance with Covid either. However, this became an increasingly daunting task after I started working at a small mom and pop health foods store in my small town of Hilo, Hawai’i. Our clientele consists of people who don’t exactly want to cooperate with government mandates or fully believe in pharmaceutical science. Trying to be understanding of people’s beliefs and wants is one thing, but trying to be professional in spite of the outrage toward the mandates and that outrage being directed toward crew for upholding those policies is another. For the past year and a half, I have been stretched pretty thin on towing the line between being understanding and accommodating for customers and crew while also trying to maintain my own personal responsibilities and upholding local government restrictions. It is not easy to constantly hear complaints, belligerency, or contrasting opinions on the subject constantly with the added caveat of the building being an extremely small space. My solace that kept me going is the hope that this will be over at some point and not a new permanent reality. Until recently, we only had a limit of twelve (excluding crew members) allowed within the store at any given time. I was relieved when Gov. David Ige finally announced lifting restrictions and mandates on March 25th, as with high hopes we can all return to some semblance of normalcy before the new normal hit hard. The thing I look forward to the most? People not being upset at the mandatory mask policy, and crew not constantly voicing their opinions about