Mapping How Cities Are Reclaiming Street Space

For many jobs across the country, working from home is a fairly easy adaptation to cope with social distancing measures. But for many scientists who work in laboratories with ongoing research, a work from home solution does not quite fit. Labs and universities are finding ways to adapt and prioritize which experiments to put on hold.

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.

After an initial shock to business-as-usual, some independent booksellers are trying new methods to get their products in the hands of readers. Home deliveries, online sales, and fundraising efforts are keeping some longstanding institutions afloat, at least for now.

A D.C.-area nonprofit that normally links refugee and immigrant chefs with paid internships at local restaurants has pivoted to directly paying those chefs to produce meals to donate across the DMV area for COVID-19 relief. Using a GoFundMe page that has so far raised almost $9,000, Tables without Borders has begun paying chefs $25 an hour to make 250 meals inspired by where they come from. The program is still in its early stages, but so far they have donated meals to Howard University Hospital night-shift workers, a homeless shelter in Arlington, and a nonprofit that works with Latin American immigrants.

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.

To replace lost business and keep their employees on staff, Tasmanian businesses quickly diversified into new product lines to meet COVID-19-related demand. A camera accessories firm that saw nearly all of its sales to the film and TV industries dry up became a manufacturer of face shields. A plastic manufacturer increased its business by turning out acrylic counter-top protective screens. And a whiskey distillery began producing 2,000 liters of hand sanitizer per week.

Mit der Corona-Pandemie fallen Therapieplätze für Menschen mit Depressionen weg. Als Alternative soll das Angebot and Videosprechstunden und Online-Selbsthilfeprogrammen ausgebaut werden. In zwei Wochen gab es über 1000 Neuanmeldungen – pro Tag. Die Datenlage zur Effektivität ist aber bisher noch gering.

Local businesses in Northeastern Ohio pivoted their operations to manufacture supplies needed to fight Covid-19 in an effort to fill a dire public need while preserving jobs for their employees. Employees were trained in industrial sewing machines to create masks, gowns, and other personal protective equipment for those on the frontlines. A Small Business Recovery grant allowed a distillery to use its existing technology to produce hand sanitizer instead of whiskey. Face shields were particularly tricky to produce effectively but 30 Northeast Ohio companies came together to create a custom product.

Administrators at Mora Independent School District have discovered that the best way to help keep their students fed during the coronavirus pandemic is to offer as many flexible options as possible. The schools have mailed meals, as well as delivering them via school buses, and offered in-school pick-up. Before closing schools, only 100 families received meals, and that number has now increased to 400 families, and schools all over New Mexico want longer-term solutions. They've now incorporated libraries and community centers to expand food accessibility.

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.