COVID-19 Archives | Close Up Foundation

Congress COVID-19 Economic Issues Partisanship and Polarization Social Issues

COVID-19 Vaccines, A Harsh Winter, and Economic Relief

December 04, 2020

Public health officials are offering good long-term news about the prospects of making a COVID-19 vaccine widely available during the first half of next year,1 but they are also cautioning Americans that this winter could be very “rough.”2 In addition to having worries about illness, death, and social isolation, many people are also feeling significant […]

Summer Round-Up #1: The Pandemic, Schools, and The Economy

August 26, 2020

The summer of 2020 has been unlike any other. Schools across the country did not finish the end of the academic year in person, and many will not be seeing students in person once again this fall. Major events have been canceled or moved online, and we are in the midst of a presidential election […]

COVID-19 Equality Social Issues

Enforcing Social Distancing & Wearing Masks

May 27, 2020

In order to combat the spread of COVID-19, people are making many changes in their habits and routines. Two central recommendations of public health officials are that people remain socially distant1 by staying six or more feet from people and avoiding non-essential trips outside the home, and that people wear masks when in public.2 This […]

Racial Equity and COVID-19

May 12, 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is stressing our health care system, our economy, and parents trying to teach their children at home. It is also highlighting significant racial disparities in access to quality health care. According to an April survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, black and Hispanic people are more likely than white people […]

Calm or Chaos: The Role of the Media During a Crisis

May 05, 2020

As the novel coronavirus continues to dominate the headlines, the American public is facing an onslaught of information about the pandemic. Social and traditional media are covering developments, spreading opinions, and broadcasting statistics about COVID-19. There has been a strong association between coronavirus media coverage and an increase in public attention on the virus itself […]

COVID-19 Economic Issues Social Issues

Should States Continue to Shelter in Place or Begin to Reopen?

April 28, 2020

As COVID-19 has spread across the country and the globe, most U.S. states have taken to issuing shelter-in-place orders to help “flatten the curve.” As of April 20, 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had asked residents to stay at home. However, over the past two weeks, there has been an increase […]

Revisiting the Minimum Wage

April 23, 2020

Inequality has been a central issue of the 2020 presidential campaign, with many of the candidates including economic and income equity as major elements of their message.1 The COVID-19 outbreak has also placed economic inequality in the spotlight. While many professionals and white-collar workers are able to work from home, employees in the service industry […]

Congress COVID-19 Legislation

Should Congress Be Allowed to Vote Remotely?

April 14, 2020

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 42 states—along with Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.—have issued stay-at-home orders, effectively barring at least 316 million Americans from going out unless absolutely necessary.1 While essential businesses and services remain open, many workers now find themselves working from home. Considering the circumstances, should Congress also be allowed to vote […]

Postponed Presidential Primaries and the Pandemic

April 07, 2020

With COVID-19 dominating both the headlines and the realities of everyday life in the United States, it can be hard to remember that we are in the midst of a presidential primary with a general election only seven months away. The State of the Race A little over a month ago, former Vice President Joe […]

COVID-19 Equality Social Issues

Homeless People and the COVID-19 Pandemic

March 26, 2020

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is affecting every American and people all over the world, but it does not affect everyone equally. The more than 500,000 Americans who are homeless are especially vulnerable—due to age, lack of access to health care, underlying medical conditions, and lack of access to information and news—and also pose a risk […]