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Masks effect hard to isolate, but officials say they're important layer of protection

Tom Hallberg

September 16, 2020 |

Jackson Hole News & Guide |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jackson, Wyoming

Data collected from a handful of states where the idea of mask wearing has spread and been adopted, shows that after three weeks' time, the average daily growth rate of COVID-19 cases decreases. Although experts say that mask-wearing is not a solution on its own, the benefits of government mandates to wear a mask do still make an impact and the effectiveness only increases over time.

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Health Board: Can't we all just get along?

Keith Hammonds

September 15, 2020 |

The Boulder Monitor |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Teton County, Montana

When the coronavirus pandemic complicated matters for local government, the Teton County public health office devised a process to enact state mandate that was effective, transparent, and led to rational decision-making. Although discord continued to a degree, the model is still providing guidance to Jefferson County as officials determine "how to best serve the public health interests of its residents."

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How New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo failed, then succeeded, on Covid-19

German Lopez

September 02, 2020 |

Vox |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Although public health experts agree that New York was initially slow to implement protocols to protect citizens from COVID-19, they also agree that the state was able to gain control over the virus due to the actions the governor and the public eventually took. Protocols that have proved successful for the state include a mask mandate, a stay-at-home order and a delay in reopeneing businesses despite a decrease in cases.

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We Can Solve the Coronavirus-Test Mess Now—if We Want To

Atul Gawande

September 02, 2020 |

The New Yorker |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: South Korea

The United States is facing a coronavirus testing problem that is due to both governmental inaction and an inefficient health care system, but the nation has faced a similar problem before. When determining how best to distribute electricity, the creation of the national electric grid decentralized access, which in turn increased supply and lowered costs. To follow a similar path in regards to COVID-19 testing access, South Korea provides an example for what "a functional national grid can deliver when it comes to public health."

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Work obsessed Japanese learn to take it easy, with a ‘workation'

Julian Ryall

September 02, 2020 |

South China Morning Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Japan

The Japanese government is embracing the idea of "workation" trips for employees across industries as a means to "help the travel industry and keep the economy ticking" as the country moves forward in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Discounts for various travel resources have encouraged 4.2 million people to try out the idea which has been made even more feasible due to the widespread adoption of remote teleworking.

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Maryland Stands Up Online Grants Application in Just 8 Hours

Andrew Westrope

September 02, 2020 |

Government Technology |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Maryland

The Maryland Department of Information Technology adapted an existing system to quickly distribute small-business grants and loans due to Covid-19. The Maryland OneStop platform, a single site for state licenses, permits, and certifications, was built with an agile approach decoupling front-end user experience from the back-end where the program does the work, which allowed quick front end modifications to launch the loan and grants online when coronavirus hit. The system processed 18,000 applications in the first 3 days and 56,000 within a month. The success was preceded by many years of planning and work.

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Wisconsin voters should request ballots now for mail-in voting

Max Witynski

September 02, 2020 |

Wisconsin Watch |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Wisconsin

In the 2020 Wisconsin primary, increased mail-in voting overwhelmed the system and last-minute decisions to vote by mail led to voter confusion. This increased ballot rejections, which can systematically disenfranchise some populations. Learning from these failures, officials will send absentee voting guidelines and applications to 2.6 million voters and use barcodes to track ballots. Due to mail delivery issues, officials also publicly urged voters to request and submit ballots well before the deadline. Critics believe the state could do much more to make voting safe and easy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Lawmakers want to revive FDR's Depression-era "tree army" to help boost rural economies

Jason Nark

August 31, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a New Deal program to build outdoor recreation facilities, creating thousands of jobs during the Great Depression and building iconic state parks. Delaware programs, like the Senior Corps that enlists the help of people over 55, encourage civic engagement modeled after the CCC. Pennsylvania's Outdoor Corps hires young people to restore public lands over the summer. Congress introduced bills to revive CCC-like initiatives that could support rural economies hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, but environmental funding is not a priority of the current administration.

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Toward a Cure: Cities Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis

Tamara E. Holmes

August 26, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee was one of the first U.S. cities to show that communities of color were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic because of a framework that had been established and implemented after the city and county declared racism a public health crisis. The resolution allowed for city officials to track data that framed "disparities in health outcomes through a racial lens." Now, 70 other jurisdictions have made similar declarations and additional efforts are underway to address a range of health issues tied to racial trends.

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As COVID-19 cases rise, experts question effectiveness of contact tracing in S.D. and across the U.S.

Nick Lowrey

August 21, 2020 |

South Dakota News Watch |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, South Dakota

Contact tracing has been touted as an effective tool for slowing the spread of COVID-19 and has shown success in countries such as South Korea – helping to not just identify potential superspreader events, but to also help the economy remain largely open. In the U.S., contact tracers in South Dakota have been able to "identify 35,000 close contacts of coronavirus patients during the pandemic so far," but health experts question if the workforce spans enough of the state.

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