When Disaster Strikes

Taylor Perse

August 05, 2021 |

Eugene Weekly |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

Disaster preparedness in the form of close inter-agency coordination and communication helped Cuyahoga County, Ohio, protect its unhoused population from COVID-19 to a greater extent than Lane County, Oregon. Although Cuyahoga (Cleveland) is larger, with more resources, its effective responses still offer a model to Lane County (Eugene), where a scattered approach and homeless-camp sweeps proved counterproductive. In Cleveland, hotels were quickly enlisted to house people, reducing crowding in shelters by half and street homelessness by 30%. Its largest men's shelter ended up with a low infection rate.

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At Soccer Games, Markets and Churches, Students Offer New Ways to Get Vaccinated

Grace Wesoly

August 05, 2021 |

Queens University News Service |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

Faith in the Vaccine is an initiative to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among low-income areas and within ethnic communities. The group, often using student ambassadors, leverages the credibility of community leaders and influencers and identifies opportunities to bring vaccine clinics to where people are already gathering. For example, vaccine tents were available at a recent soccer game attended by over 1,000 Spanish-speaking fans. Attendees could get the one-dose COVID-19 shot, a $25 VISA debit card, and be entered to win two season passes to the 2022 season of the new Charlotte FC soccer team.

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Inside North Carolina's 'little Dare County,' most vaccinated county in the rural South

Andrew Yawn

August 05, 2021 |

USA Today |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Dare County, North Carolina

Dare County, a relatively isolated and rural coastal county in North Carolina, has the highest vaccination rate in the southern U.S. The successful vaccination campaign is due in part to an existing communication infrastructure that local governments and healthcare systems use to coordinate during hurricane emergencies. Existing communication channels and relationships made it easier to publicize mass vaccination sites and get people to register online. Officials also went to great lengths to get more vaccines, petitioning the state for extra doses and even driving to other counties to pick up surpluses.

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An Innovative Tool to Increase Vaccine Access? The Block Party

Emma Specter

August 05, 2021 |

Vogue |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lowell, Massachusetts

The Greater Lowell Health Alliance offered COVID-19 vaccines using a “block party” model where community members enjoy free food, music, activities, and even childcare, while also having access to information about vaccines in multiple languages as well as the ability to actually get vaccinated. This model reduced barriers for immigrants, refugees, and other people who don’t speak English fluently, as well as caregivers who can’t attend vaccine appointments due to their caregiving responsibilities. The relaxed environment, where loved ones can support each other, increased comfort with getting the vaccine.

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‘Better' podcast shines light on solutions

Allison Frost

July 29, 2021 |

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Taiwan

Taiwan responded to COVID-19 quickly, which helped keep cases low and avoid widespread shutdowns. The country had closely tracked its PPE stockpiles since the 2003 SARS outbreak, has a national health command center to coordinate responses, and uses a well-defined set of procedures to track and manage people under infectious risk or quarantine. Masks are required and provided to every citizen, inbound travelers were quickly regulated, and contact tracing and testing is widely used to prevent outbreaks. Citizens generally listen to authorities, though fines and other sanctions also encourage compliance.

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Door-to-door vaccine outreach finds success in Lafayette's Latino community

Ty Baniewicz

July 26, 2021 |

The Current (Louisiana) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Acadiana, Louisiana

Members of Asociación Cultural Latino-Acadiana and the Rotary Club of Lafayette North went door-to-door in neighborhoods that are home to Spanish-speaking households to find people eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. After compiling a list of unvaccinated residents who wanted the shot, they coordinated with the Department of Health to organize three vaccine events. The events were held within the communities, which eased transportation burdens and the inability to take time off of work. The presence of interpreters also helped ease residents’ concerns of being able to communicate with the medical providers.

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Financially Challenged But Fierce, Griffin Hospital Innovates Its Way Through Pandemic

Carol Leonetti Dannhauser

July 12, 2021 |

Connecticut Health Investigative Team |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Derby, Connecticut

Griffin hospital used innovative strategies to test, vaccinate, and care for patients during the coronavirus pandemic. The hospital stocked up early, including with donated ventilators, and repurposed unused spaces and object to help care for COVID-19 patients. They offered large-scale testing, at the height administering 35,000 weekly tests at five drive-through locations. They also provided testing at 124 nursing homes to stem high infection rates. Once vaccinations were ready, Griffin set up clinics where people were, vaccinating thousands in nursing homes, local shops, schools, parks, and at churches.

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Special clinics aim to get COVID vaccine to developmentally disabled

Dave Altimari

July 06, 2021 |

The Connecticut Mirror |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Vernon, Connecticut

Grassroots volunteer groups are helping people across the country make COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Get Out the Shot: Los Angeles has 100 vetted volunteers who have booked 300 appointments through the group’s system and thousands more on their own. Residents leave a message or fill out a Google form with their information and a volunteer picks up their case, books an appointment, and calls them to confirm. These volunteer organizations fill important assistance gaps in local government services that are stretched thin. Some groups focus on getting appointments for people from underserved communities.

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How Taiwan held off Covid-19, until it didn't

Christina Thornell

July 06, 2021 |

Vox |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Taiwan

Throughout 2020, Taiwanese society largely remained open and the country had 7 COVID-19 deaths. Taiwan’s 2003 experience with SARS set up an existing infrastructure to act quickly, including a centralized information command center that coordinated activities across government and health offices. Personal data was used to assign each citizen a risk level. Low-risk people were required to wear free masks, but could go about business as normal. High-risk people and all in-bound travelers were required to strictly quarantine for two weeks and the government used cell phone data to ensure compliance.

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How ‘hockey hub' clinics are changing the vaccine game in Ontario

Justin Chandler

June 30, 2021 |

TVO |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Ontario

The “hockey hub” mass-vaccination model uses large spaces, like sports arenas, to vaccinate up to 70 people per hour, compared to 6-10 with traditional systems. Rows of 30 cubicles, each with a single chair, allow a health professional and an assistant to visit each patient with their vaccine-laden cart and quickly get consent and administer the vaccine. Once they finish the row, the first person to get their shot has waited the required post-vaccine observation time. The model requires less staff and time spent disinfecting surfaces in between patients, which substantially lowers the cost per vaccine.

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