Ticket to ride: Officials, riders debate the safety of riding the RTA during the pandemic

As communities work to contain the coronavirus outbreak, the risk for emergency responders to contract the illness is high; but in Massachusetts, departments are putting new practices and plans into place to address this. From changing the way police respond to calls, to creating a backfill system if or when officers are quarantined, the departments are working to keep both their responders and their communities healthy.

Hong Kong and Singapore are being looked to as potential models of how to contain the coronavirus pandemic, but they also offer lessons about how to keep the frontline health care providers safe during an outbreak as well. From specific protocols about when the use of a N95 mask is necessary to a precise definition of what justifies "close contact," these two countries are showing that occupational exposure isn't necessarily a threat when dealt with properly and proactively.

In March 2020, North Carolina’s Board of Education, in response to COVID-19, approved paid emergency leave for all school employees – but with 100% pay only going to those that qualify as “high risk.” With many of the affected employees being Spanish-only speakers explanations of the detailed leave policies were not comprehensive, making the roll out of the relief confusing and inaccessible.

Philadelphia medical centers had to pivot their services in response to COVID-19, turning to telehealth to screen patients who think they’re experiencing symptoms. That pivot took some adjusting – having to hire and train staff in the technology and process and scaling their services to meet the massive spike in online appointments. Doing so has let places like Jefferson Health and Penn Medicine see close to 10x the patients they usually see.

A change in communication policies and outreach procedures has helped the UR Medicine Home Care program retain employees during the coronavirus pandemic, despite increasingly difficult work conditions. Part of this effort has included leaders from the program committing to daily check-ins with staff members to discuss work and personal concerns and then addressing those concerns through actions such as implementing child care options.

Premier Vacation Rentals Group offers free lodging in about 30% of its 350 vacation rentals for frontline workers to avoid exposing their families to Covid-19, which gives them peace of mind that they are protecting their families while also providing space to engage in self-care for their own physical and mental health. The company cleans the rentals according to CDC guidelines; however, the units are not approved for people who have tested positive for Covid-19. Two other vacation rental groups in the area have also started offering unused rentals to first responders and healthcare workers.

The population of Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, made the region a hotspot for coronavirus transmission, but local officials' aggressive action plan – which included testing, contact tracing, quarantine, and increased sanitation efforts – helped quell the spread of the virus. Although the process was challenging for local doctors and the shutdown of normal day-to-day routines had a negative impact on the region's economy, Dharavi has already been able to begin the process of reopening.

Thanks to a speedy early containment effort, rigorous contact tracing and quarantine policies, and effective public communications, Vietnam suffered zero COVID-19 deaths through the first four-plus months of the crisis and a relatively low infection rate overall. The country’s success, notable especially in light of its modest economic and healthcare conditions, began with a strict three-week national lockdown. Since then, businesses and schools reopened, under social-distancing rules. Throughout, the country's elaborate propaganda network spread hygiene messages to a public accustomed to viral outbreaks.

South Korea and Hong Kong have been able to contain the coronavirus without imposing restrictive lockdowns by implementing an aggressive and widespread testing, data sharing and contact tracing regime. In the case of South Korea, the country was able to not just flatten the curve of coronavirus cases in only 20 days, but also maintain a decrease in cases even after a parliamentary election with record-setting turnout numbers.

Jesuit High School in Northern California has remained open in full for two months without encountering a single outbreak of Covid-19 amongst school attendants. While it hasn't been inexpensive, the parochial school routinely conducts districtwide on-site rapid coronavirus tests and attributes this protocol to the overall success.