How the CARES Act Forgot America's Most Vulnerable Hospitals

South Korea is emerging as a model for many countries battling the spread of coronavirus, thanks to the country's quick response to initiate widespread testing and contact tracing methodology. Having learned from what failed during the outbreak in 2015, the country has been able to keep their death toll under 1 percent, unlike many other countries battling the pandemic.

Although Taiwan and Canada saw the beginning of coronavirus outbreaks within days of each other, Taiwan has been able to better contain the spread. Using tactics such as integrating "its health insurance database with its immigration database" and using the military to help produce protective masks for medical workers, the Taiwanese government's aggressive approach offers lessons in how to use big data and regulations to stem the spread of infectious diseases.

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.

Rather than send local residents to city-run testing sites in the East Bay of California, clinics in East Oakland are now running their own testing sites to better serve their community. Although one of the sites has already tested nearly 100 people and residents who are underinsured or uninsured can be tested for free, some believe the effort should have started much sooner.

As the U.S attempts to reopen, restaurant owners from California to Florida are expanding their restaurants into nearby outdoor space, including sidewalks and parking lots. In doing so, they are able to offer patrons a safer dining environment, as there is more room to keep tables further apart and follow social distancing precautions, and it also helps restaurants earn more revenue than if they were limited to indoor space. Some city governments are streamlining the process, including Brookhaven, Georgia, which made it free to access short-term permits for outdoor dining.

Health officials in North Carolina have shown that contact tracing can successfully identify those who have been exposed to COVID-19. The efforts of the contact tracers in one county resulted in 35 people being quarantined after an exposure to the virus during a child's birthday party, however that was only possible because of those individuals "were willing to be open and honest and forthcoming."

Business counseling for struggling entrepreneurs has been crucial for small businesses trying to get back on their feet in the aftermath of the shutdown. The Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program was specifically formed for Asian Pacific Islanders, who failed to find help because of language barriers. API SBP brings together different business communities to work collaboratively and pool resources. In addition to rent relief, navigating changes to PPP, and finding available grant programs, counselors have recently assisted businesses with social media presence and building websites.

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.

The CARES Act was meant to help small businesses, including hospitals, find financial stability during the coronavirus pandemic, but confusing guidelines and a lack of oversight have impeded the success. This reality has been especially difficult for rural hospitals, some of which "have left millions in relief aid untouched, spiraling deeper into debt for fear that the wrong decision could force them to return money."

During the NFL's 2020/21 season, "700 players, coaches and other team personnel tested positive for the coronavirus," but none of those individuals were associated with the Seattle Seahawks – the only team that lasted the entire season without one positive case. The Seahawks enacted strict protocols such as dividers between showers and lockers, upgraded ventilation systems, daily testing, and a mobile meal app, but they also relied on innovative tactics like creating a competition for which position group could maintain the fewest close contacts.