The COVID-19 History Project

This really happened.

This Day in COVID: July 16, 2020

Thousands of Small Business Owners Have Not Gotten Disaster Loans the Government Promised Them

A top official said 99% of funds were paid, but only 55% of small business owners reported receiving the money. Borrowers were told there was a technical glitch, but the Small Business Administration would not answer questions about it.

Propublica

Pandemic has put Canada's small businesses billions in debt

And the IMF is warning of a sharp rise in small business bankruptcies across multiple industries with added risk for financial services

Wealth Professional

CDC bans U.S. cruises through September, citing ‘ongoing’ coronavirus outbreaks on ships

The CDC added that it remains concerned about a number of elements of the companies' return-to-sailing plans, including failing to close self-serve buffets, gyms and salons.

CNBC

Helping others during the Covid-19 crisis can help your own emotional, financial well-being

From personal gestures to financial contributions, experts say giving back can be an effective way to alleviate stress and anxiety — and result in additional tax savings.

CNBC

How mental health care should change as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Lancet

Hydroxychloroquine studies show drug is not effective for early treatment of mild covid-19

Washington Post

How COVID-19 Disinformation Goes Viral

Union of Concerned Scientists

How The Travel Industry’s Lessons Learned From Covid-19 Will Apply For Years To Come

For better or worse, we have no choice but to do our best to anticipate future conditions and how we might adapt to them.

Forbes

What’s With All the Covid-Death Shaming?

New York TImes

Ending the pandemic will take global access to COVID-19 treatment and vaccines – which means putting ethics before profits

The Conversation

White House document shows 18 states in coronavirus ‘red zone’

A White House document says 18 states are in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases. Eleven states are in the “red zone” for test positivity.

Public Integrity

The UK did some things right to fight the coronavirus, but it locked down too late

The U.K. got some things right when it came to fighting Covid-19, but local experts say it locked down too late, failed to protect its elderly, and the messaging has been inconsistent.

CNBC

Coronavirus: why are some people experiencing long-term fatigue?

The Conversation

Unmasking the Truth: Public Health Experts, the Coronavirus, and the Raucous Marketplace of Ideas

Carnegie Endowment

Andrew Cuomo’s Pandemic Poster and the Limits of Coronavirus Visuals

The governor’s latest civic-minded art work, “New York Tough,” reflects the same magical thinking that has characterized the country’s coronavirus response.

New Yorker

Does Florida have enough Remdesivir? Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio have different takes.

'We have a bad disconnect between what they think we need and what we really need,” Sen. Rubio tweeted Thursday.

Tampa Bay Times

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says “there is no shutdown coming” as coronavirus cases surge

Abbott said last week that if the spread of the virus didn't slow that 'the next step would have to be a lockdown.' But in a television interview Thursday he said that there have been rumors of such a move, and stressed that they were not true.

KCBD

GOP scales back Trump’s Jacksonville convention next month

Trump will now accept the GOP nomination at a 5,500-person, 90,000-square-foot outdoor amphitheater with a roof

Tampa Bay Times

Why Doesn’t Trump Spend the Tax Dollars Necessary to Save His Presidency?

Trump and Republicans don’t have the courage or imagination to work with Democrats to improve conditions in the country for their own benefit.

NY Magazine

As Trump refuses to lead, America tries to save itself

CNN

In the open: White House advisers tussle over virus response

WASHINGTON | Infighting over the White House’s handling of the coronovirus pandemic is spilling further into public view, with trade adviser Peter Navarro panning Dr. Anthony Fauci as President Donald Trump stands watch. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, called the criticism “nonsense” and “a bit bizarre.” The long-simmering tiff escalated when Navarro wrote […]

Sentinel Colorado

Colorado’s governor issues statewide mask mandate days after saying such a requirement is unenforceable

Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday, facing pressure from the medical community and Democratic state lawmakers, issued a statewide mandate requiring Coloradans to wear a mask when in indoor public spaces. The mask order takes effect on Friday and lasts through at least Aug. 15. It applies to anyone older than age 10. Masks must also […]

Colorado Sun

Governor Cuomo Launches National 'Mask Up America' Campaign Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spreading fast in many states across the country, Governor Cuomo launched the national 'Mask Up America' education and awareness campaign to urge all Americans to wear a mask while in public to help stop the spread of the virus.

New York Governor

Walmart will require all customers to wear masks after incidents in which one anti-mask shopper drove into police and another pulled a gun on other customers

A man rammed his car into a police officer twice after being ejected from a Louisiana Walmart and saying, 'You can't make me wear a f---ing mask.'

Business Insider

Arkansas issues statewide face mask mandate as coronavirus cases surge

Anyone caught not following the state order will face a misdemeanor offense, punishable by a fine of no less than $100 not to exceed $500.

CBS

Anti-mask protesters' new weapon: wearing masks that offer no COVID-19 protection

Face masks made of mesh, crochet (yarn) or lace are now popular items being offered by online retailers.

WTHR

Can You Actually Be Medically Exempt From Wearing a Face Mask? Doctors Say It’s Rare

Sorry, your mask-acne isn’t a legit excuse.

Prevention

How Government Can Counter Coronavirus’ Impact On Women Entrepreneurs

Just as women-owned businesses were making breakthroughs, the pandemic threatens to set them back, but we don’t have to let that happen. We have the tools to protect them. Let’s use them.

Forbes

3 Foundation Leaders On How Philanthropy Can Support Inclusive Small Business Recovery

These philanthropic institutions are stepping up to support small businesses in rebuilding and re-imagining the American economy.

Forbes

Anti-Mask Rallies Continue In U.S. Amid Rising Coronavirus Cases And Deaths

“Covid is a hoax. It’s a lie. It’s a political stunt,” said Denna Robertson, 65, of Provo, Utah.

Forbes

Mask Rules Expand Across U.S. as Clashes Over the Mandates Intensify

New York Times

Our Mission

The COVID-19 History Project is a curated archive of the events and policy decisions surrounding the emergence of COVID-19.

The pandemic era of 2020-2022 saw massive increases in restrictions on daily life—enforced by the government and by social stigma—accompanied social protests that roiled cities worldwide

In the United States alone, trillions of dollars were spent by the federal government to offset the forced closure of businesses and the devastation of normal life.

The impacts of these policy decisions are still being felt today.

Some would like us to forget the actions and people that played a significant role during the pandemic.

But we of the COVID-19 History Project don't want to forget. Through our work, we hope there will always be an archive to learn from and interpret this fascinating, disturbing, time in world history.

The Timeline

In order to learn from the mistakes of the past, and give COVID-19 decision makers the credit—both good and bad—they deserve, we have compiled a media timeline from every day of the pandemic.

We have endeavored to make the timeline comprehensive without being duplicative, following the major trends as they unfolded.

We provided analyses for each month highlighting major events, but encourage readers to make their own conclusions about these events as well.

This Day in COVID: July 16, 2021

Details

What's fueling COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in young adults?

Why young adults remain hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine, and what health officials are doing to combat it.

ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

Watch Olivia Rodrigo explain #ManCrushMonday to Dr. Fauci while reading fan tweets

Dr. Anthony Fauci got a lesson in internet slang from Olivia Rodrigo.

Entertainment Weekly

What to Make of L.A.’s Mask Mandate

Will we all be wearing them indoors soon?

Slate Magazine

COVID: should you ditch your mask once restrictions are lifted? A philosopher’s view

A philosopher of public health ponders whether taking your mask off on July 19 is like punching someone in the face or like riding a bike.

The Conversation

Eiffel Tower reopens after nine-month COVID closure

The ‘Iron Lady’ of Paris has been closed since October, the landmark’s longest closure since World War II.

Al Jazeera

Violent unrest in South Africa imperils COVID-19 response

Hospital resources pushed to limit as violence, looting grip parts of country already struggling to cope with pandemic.

Al Jazeera

The pandemic fueled the decline of cash

Axios

Coronavirus in Africa: Concern grows over third wave of infections

The WHO is worried about a third wave in African countries, many of which lag behind in vaccinations.

BBC

All You Need to Know About the COVID-19 Delta Variant

Dr. Rizzo answered our questions about the COVID-19 variant that is on the rise. Early research suggests Delta is possibly more dangerous and twice as likely to lead to hospitalization.

American Lung Association

Associations between dimensions of behaviour, personality traits, and mental-health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom - Nature Communications

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s health and well-being. Here, the authors characterize self-reported impact of the pandemic (positive and negative) at a large scale in the United Kingdom, and show variance among individual circumstances.

Nature

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in low- and middle-income countries - Nature Medicine

Survey data collected across ten low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia, Africa and South America compared with surveys from Russia and the United States reveal heterogeneity in vaccine confidence in LMICs, with healthcare providers being trusted sources of information, as well as greater levels of vaccine acceptance in these countries than in Russia and the United States.

Nature

Eiffel Tower reopens and now requires COVID passes

The "Iron Lady" of Paris was ordered shut in October as France battled its second virus surge of the pandemic. It opened to the public Friday with "Welcome" messages flashing in multiple languages.

PBS

Understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy - Nature Medicine

A new study unpacks the complexities of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance across low-, middle- and high-income countries.

Nature

Proteomics and metabonomics analyses of Covid-19 complications in patients with pulmonary fibrosis - Scientific Reports

Nature

U.S. facing 'pandemic of the unvaccinated', CDC warns as cases, deaths rise

Low vaccination coverage in parts of the U.S. is putting people at risk, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned.

NBC News

High coverage COVID-19 mRNA vaccination rapidly controls SARS-CoV-2 transmission in long-term care facilities - Communications Medicine

De Salazar et al. quantify the impact of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination on COVID-19 transmission and deaths in residents of long-term care facilities in Catalonia, Spain using statistical modelling. They find that high vaccination coverage results in a substantial reduction in transmission amongst residents, preventing around 3 in 4 documented infections and COVID-19-related deaths.

Nature

Los Angeles bemoans mask mandate while experts urge compliance

“If we continue to have large swaths of the population unvaccinated, we are giving this virus a great opportunity to evolve,” Anne Rimoin, an infectious diseases expert, said.

NBC News

California Turned Pandemic Rentals Into Permanent Housing For Homeless People

California leased hotel rooms for unhoused residents during the pandemic to move them out of crowded shelters. Then it bought some of those hotels to create long-term homes for them.

NPR

U.S. COVID Deaths Are Rising Again. Experts Call It A 'Pandemic Of The Unvaccinated'

Reversing a months-long downward trend, deaths from COVID-19 have begun rising steadily this week. More than 99% of the recent fatalities were among people who had not been vaccinated.

NPR

Fleeing Lockdown, Americans Are Flocking to Mexico City (Published 2021)

The New York Times

Why Young Adults Are Among the Biggest Barriers to Mass Immunity (Published 2021)

The New York Times

Biden Celebrates Progress Against Virus, but Acknowledges Hurdles Ahead (Published 2021)

The New York Times

Yankees Add Aaron Judge and Two Others to Covid-19 Injured List (Published 2021)

The New York Times

'Pandemic of the unvaccinated' burdens busy U.S. hospitals

With the highly contagious delta variant spreading rapidly across the country, cases in the U.S. are up about 70% over the last week, hospital admissions are up about 36% and deaths rose by 26%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PBS

Delta COVID variant now dominant strain worldwide, U.S. deaths surge -officials

Reuters

Pandemic disruptions push millions of Nigerians into hunger

Reuters

US seeing ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated’ as cases rise in every state

Public health chiefs warn of ‘extraordinary surge’ as less than half the US population fully vaccinated

The Guardian

England’s Covid unlocking is threat to world, say 1,200 scientists

International experts say ‘unethical experiment’ could allow vaccine-resistant variants to develop

The Guardian

Republican lawmakers push to cast vaccine refusal as a civil rights issue

Bills in several statehouses seek to block employers from demanding Covid-19 immunization, even though few do

The Guardian

No Sign of COVID-19 Vaccine in Breast Milk

Messenger RNA vaccines against COVID-19 were not detected in human milk, according to a small study by UCSF, providing early evidence that the vaccine mRNA is not transferred to the infant.

UC San Francisco

ESPN's Jay Williams tests positive for coronavirus, won't broadcast rest of NBA Finals on ABC

ESPN host and analyst Jay Williams won't broadcast the remaining games of the NBA Finals because he has tested positive for coronavirus.

USA Today

Delta variant takes hold in U.S. as coronavirus cases rise nearly 70 percent

Washington Post

Coronavirus: Vaccines & Variants with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD

The Washington Post

Back Together: Stillwater Emerges Stronger Following Pandemic, Thanks To Community

Stillwater was bustling with people all day, even though the long-running community festival was canceled again this year.

CBS News

Covid-19 ‘is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,’ CDC director says | CNN

CNN

Mask mandate returns to Los Angeles as coronavirus cases rise

Reuters

BioNTech vaccine creates 10 times more antibodies than Sinovac, study finds

Though quantity of coronavirus-targeting proteins does not directly correlate to level of immunity, findings may suggest ‘substantial differences in vaccine effectiveness’.

South China Morning Post

‘They’re killing people’: Biden aims blistering attack at tech companies over vaccine falsehoods

The Washington Post