And Yet, There Are Collateral Benefits
16 Monday Mar 2020
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It’s not what you’d wish on your worst enemy, but all the same, there are bright spots amidst the coronavirus (CV) landscape.
On a brief (auto) trip to the bakery this weekend I passed through numerous residential neighborhoods, every one of which sported people outside, recreating. On bikes, with basketballs in hand, walking dogs, planting trees, shouting socially-distanced pleasantries – it was absolutely plain as could be that people everywhere were plonked back to the future in slower, simpler pleasures like gallomph-jogging side-by-side, challenging each other in bicycling-pairs to summit a hill, corralling the kids to participate in household chores and pet-care.
Who knew that contentious traffic calming measures of late would suddenly be rendered moot, casualties of the CV pandemic that has parked us all in our neighborhoods, not somewhere else. Maybe all we’ve really been needing was relief from the tyranny of scheduled events and organized activities.
Quoth one nearby teenager: “I am perfectly fine and content with being quarantined [which we’re not, to be precise] for a hot minute. I think it’s much more fun than being panicked about work in a social setting.”
Just like that: out of our cars, away from some overheated pressures – or at least perhaps a new configuration for them.
It’s true that while life may slow in some respects, responsibilities and worry and pressure do remain if in different form. There has been a Herculean effort – public and private – to collect information, establish centers of support, pull together.
Here is a list of some resources:
Governmental response including health information, public health measures
- Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC), comprehensive authoritative health information including a testing tracker and even open source public health images!
- International World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus outbreak website
- State of CA Department of Public Health CV information
- Governor’s Executive Order Ensuring State Funding for Schools Even in Event of Physical Closure; call for the closure of all bars and wineries, self-isolation of seniors and high-risk individuals
- Los Angeles County background and symptoms information including daily count updates and FAQ in 14 languages [Note the City of Los Angeles’ health agencies are part of the County government not municipal]
- LA County residents can also call 2-1-1
Data banks
- Continually updating series of data-centric factoids and issues surrounding Covid-19
- Johns Hopkins mapping project of CV outbreak include state-by-state counts, population denominators
- Schiffmann CV tables tracker (a HS student)
Employment Concerns
- CA Labor & Workforce Development Agency resources for employers and workers, including information on filing a Paid Family Leave claim and other FAQs
Resources for families
- LAUSD Communications; statements on school closures, resource center staffing, news links, cool videos on handwashing (though the Wildcats seem proverbially shy of the water).
- List of 40 LAUSD Family Center Sites opening 3/18/20 during Covid-19 closure
- LAUSD Hotline for questions from families (213-443-1300) and staff (213-241-2700)
- The Los Angeles Public Library is online with e-books and tons of information!
Practical, helpful blogs and articles with kid-centered information, activities and ideas
- So You Think You’re About To Be In A Pandemic by virologists Ian M MacKay and Katherine E Arden
- Facebook Groups: Parents Supporting Teachers (formed during the UTLA strike of early 2019) – join here for links (active only upon membership) to: Learning Resources – for Elementary, Middle and High Schools; Business Resources, including information about free wifi and hotspots for K12 students
- Another Facebook group with ideas: – Momtivist
- How To Survive A Pandemic by NELA LAUSD mom Erin Plossmor
- Covid19 Los Angeles Community Resources by theebighonk (@gmail.com)
- Quarantine with a Toddler by Jayna Zweiman
- 150+ Enrichment Activities for Children While Parents are Working Remotely
- Virtual Field Trips
- Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to school closings
There are an awful lot more such ideas and groups online. Feel free to put some more favorites in the comments below.