'It was a godsend': New Minnesota hiring program helps care homes hit hard by COVID-19

The Green House Project, which is a network model of nursing homes across states, has been able to largely avoid the spread of Covid-19 amongst residents, with five times fewer cases than the national nursing home average. While the small size of the nursing homes has played a role, it has also been beneficial that each resident has their own bedroom and bathroom and that staff employ a universal worker model that limits the number of nursing assistants coming and going from each facility.

Finland, Norway, and Denmark are three countries that have largely been able to contain the spread of COVID-19 and keep average daily deaths low, by implementing some of the "most relaxed combinations of restrictions." Although the virus has not been entirely eradicated, the success so far has been tied to a high rate of public compliance, preventative measures, and clear communication.

When nursing homes in North Carolina realized that the coronavirus pandemic had arrived within the state, facility managers and staff began enacting measures to prevent the spread of the virus amongst their residents. Adapting existing infection control and prevention plans, many were able to ensure a robust supply of PPE and reinforce their staffing numbers, which has paid off as most of the facilities have avoided outbreaks.

The state of Vermont has been able to keep COVID-19 cases to a minimal, at least in part by focusing on offering preventive protections for the most at-risk and vulnerable – such as the unhoused. The state's response has included "state-supported housing for the homeless, hazard pay, meal deliveries, and free, pop-up testing in at-risk communities," all of which prioritize high-risk populations rather than those who can easily self-isolate at home.

Spain's collectivist culture, free public-health system, and economic support structures have helped the country to combat the spread of coronavirus. One measure – known as "temporary employment regulation file, or expediente de regulación temporaria de empleo" – specifically helps those who would have otherwise lost their jobs due to business closures by allowing the employer to sign his or her employees up :to get paid by the state a monthly amount of approximately 70 percent of her/his latest taxable salary."

European countries like France and Germany have been able to keep their unemployment rates low because of pre-existing programs that have been called to action during COVID-19. In France, the government subsidizes up to 84% of wages to incentive companies not to lay their employees off. In Germany, their short-time work program pays up to two-thirds of employee pay. While not an inexpensive method, some say it could help their economies replenish quicker after the pandemic.

Strict and early knockdowns and consistent public health messaging have helped Australia effectively eliminate Covid-19. Now, the country and its residents have largely returned to business as usual, despite many citizens still waiting to receive the Covid vaccine.

During 2020, the city of Cleveland reduced the rate of people experiencing homelessness by 30% due to provisions put in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Using eviction moratoriums for those at risk of losing their homes, and hotels for those who were unhoused, the agencies responding to homelessness along with the city and county were able to better engage with the community's needs.

Denmark public health workers have been able to distribute nearly their entire supply of the COVID-19 vaccine thanks in part to early preparation tactics and "a capable health system." Although the country had to procure special freezers and pay more by choosing to move forward with the first vaccine on the market, the success to administer the vaccinations to the public "far outstrips other EU countries."

Leaders of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota acted early and aggressively when the coronavirus pandemic began sweeping the nation, and so far, it has appeared to have helped the region to keep the caseload low. Using knowledge from previous outbreaks, focusing on community-information management and keeping in close communication with state officials, the Fond du Lac Band "has largely managed to stay out of the headlines."