Tourism in time of pandemic. How the Safar Project opened minds and borders

The Cincinnati Zoo has found a way to connect to their community even after temporarily shutting its doors because of COVID19. Using Facebook Live, the zoo hosts daily videos showcasing different animals and educational programming about them. Their first video reached over 4 million views and has shown to be a way to engage their members, even from afar.

To help students access the resources they need while schools are closed due to the coronavirus, administrators in China are utilizing "a national cloud learning platform," as well as broadcast television. While both supplement online lessons, the e-learning approach equips students with tools to learn 12 different subjects.

South Korea has reported a reduction of new coronavirus cases thanks in part to rapid government regulations, widespread testing, and increased transparency. While other countries, such as the United States, have made a practice of only testing those showing symptoms, South Korea's success is linked to broader testing, contact tracing and alerting those who have possibly been in contact with an infected person.

As California’s Bay Area is weeks into its shelter-in-place order – the first in the nation – experts are seeing indications that it’s working in the fight against COVID19, but at the same time needs to continue. Health officials are seeing signs that the increase of cases could be flattening, which was the goal of social distancing, and has been giving the area more time to prepare for a spike, which other experts say is inevitable. Either way, the stay-at-home mandate is helping reduce strain on the healthcare system.

By running a network of 3-D printers, universities like USC and UCLA Extension, as well as volunteer firms and nonprofits mobilize their resources to create backup masks. The masks are more effective than basic disposable surgical masks, and serve as reserves for hospitals in the region. The network operates with the assistance of the Los Angeles Mayor’s office.

Scientists have been mapping microbes in public places for a long time and are now tracking Covid-19 by swabbing subways, park benches, ATMs, and even the air, for traces of genetic material to better understand the virus’ transmission dynamics and detect hotspots before transmission becomes widespread. Molecular monitoring has identified how long the virus can live on different surfaces and the origin of different strains, which can flag sanitation priorities and help contact tracers. There are limits to what it can reveal because finding virus on surfaces does not always lead to definite infection.

The coronavirus pandemic drastically reduced the ridership of the Monterey-Salinas Transit District, so the system shifted services to help the mostly rural community it serves. Despite cash-flow problems, unused drivers and vehicles helped Meals on Wheels deliver 8,000 meals to seniors and persons with disabilities, wi-fi-enabled commuter buses parked in rural areas to provide hot spots for students, and the system donated unused vehicles to groups serving veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and at-risk youth. The system continues to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances.

Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes share land, and despite previous disagreements, they collaborated to create one of the state's most effective coronavirus testing clinics. 3,000 people from both tribes have been tested, about 30% of all tests done in Wyoming. The two nations have also helped residents, impacted by casino closures and sharp drops in oil and gas revenues, with special hunting seasons, food supply distributions, and providing quarantine housing. More testing has meant higher cases identified, which has led some to create a narrative blaming Native people for the spread of the virus.

Bronx shelters have teamed up with industry professionals to put together an after-school program offering students an opportunity to receive mentorship. In the program, which is based around video game-themed writing workshops, students are able to practice their writing skills, while being able to manage pandemic-induced isolation by connecting with other students and instructors.

The Hounslow council sent £20 vouchers to every household to help the local economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Households had about two months to spend the voucher, which could purchase products or services at a range of businesses from cafes and cinemas to retailers and laundromats. Retailers can use an app to scan the vouchers and eventually redeem them for payments.