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The WHO (World Health Organization) releases statement saying that China has discovered pneumonia cases of unknown cause. This statement triggered an investigation about the mysterious virus, and eventually led to the discovery of COVID-19.
https://www.statnews.com/2020/01/04/mystery-pneumonia-outbreak-china/ -
Centers for Disease Control issues warning for people traveling abroad. This warning was important to try and prevent the spread of coronavirus and protect US citizens from being infected. The discovery of the virus also allowed for research and prevention measures to begin.
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The CDC and the Department for Homeland Security released enhanced screening processes for people entering the United States from Wuhan China where the virus was discovered. This is important because preventing infected people from entering the US is an important aspect of prevention. Early detection is crucial to minimize the spread of the disease.
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The State Department released a statement urging US citizens to avoid all travel to China in order to avoid contracting coronavirus. The State Department's goal is to ensure American safety, and by releasing this warning they are trying to keep citizens from becoming sick and infecting others.
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The WHO releases the name of the new virus: COVID-19. The name does not refer to any specific demographics or locations and is easy to pronounce and remember. This is important because a universal name helps standardize research and discussions around the virus. A neutral name also avoids placing unnecessary blame on anyone.
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President Trump declared a national emergency regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He banned travelers from China, Iran, and the Schengin region of Europe from entering into the United States. This event was important because it signaled that the US was taking COVID-19 seriously, and that it was a threat to people's health.
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President Trump established public health guidelines in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic. These guidelines include wearing masks, social distancing, limiting gatherings, avoiding unnecessary travel, and avoiding restaurants and bars until March 30th. These universal guidelines are important because they aim to protect Americans and prevent people from getting sick. These guidelines were a big part of the US's pandemic response.
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This was the first quarantine order to be issued in the country, urging residents to stay inside and avoid going to public places. This signaled the severity of the situation, with the other states following suit. Prevention was a major factor in the federal response to COVID, with regulations focusing on avoiding contacting and spreading the virus.
https://www.ksla.com/2020/03/20/california-becomes-first-state-order-lockdown/ -
Unemployment insurance claims rose to 6.6 million. Millions of people lost benefits and this put a large strain on the federal government. Without workers, the economy was also greatly affected. This was a huge problem for the government to fix.
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The Federal Reserve released funding to help households and employers as well as state and local services to provide aid during the pandemic. This was an important action because it's goal was to help populations that were hurt the most. Unemployment rose and lots of people list their jobs, leaving them to rely on government assistance.
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Total payroll employment fell by 20.5 million, making it the greatest monthly drop in the history of the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures the US economy and provides information to aide decision making. This mass unemployment put a lot of strain on the economy.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/unemployment-rate-april-worst-month-coronavirus-pandemic-jobs-report/ -
The Center for Disease Control releases a set of community guidelines to assist states and counties as they begin to reopen. Cases began to get lessen in some areas, an some states decided to reopen. The CDC is responsible for protecting public health and they created rules to guide states as they reopened.
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The Center for Disease Control continued to track COVID-19 cases and announced that over 100,000 people had been killed by the virus. Throughout the pandemic, the CDC has kept track of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Their research teams then provide this information to policy makers to guide their decisions about the pandemic response.
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In response to rising COVID-19 cases, states decide to lock down and return to quarantine measures in order to prevent spread. This was an important event because it meant that the pandemic still needed to be taken seriously. places began to reopen in May, but cases began to rise, signaling to the federal government that there was more to be done.
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The CDC continues to monitor cases as the total number of cases increases to 2.6 million. The CDC works to research the pandemic and keep the public informed. This information was released shortly after states entered lockdown again after briefly reopening, proving that the pandemic was still not over.
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Their report included commentary on the Main Street Lending program, which was designed to provide loans for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. The Main Street Lending program was a huge factor in the federal pandemic response because it was used to support all of the businesses that lost revenue due to the pandemic.
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Their rules include deferring evaluation requirements after the closing of real-estate transactions and changing the amount of money banks need to have on hand for banks that participate in Federal Reserve facilities. These rules were created to alleviate some of the financial stress created by the pandemic.
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It is released that President Trump and the First Lady have contracted COVID-19. They enter a treatment facility and recover within a week.
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The Federal Reserve Board changed requirements of the Main Street Lending Program. This change helped compensate for the loss of money that small businesses experienced as a result of quarantine measures and the pandemic.
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The CDC confirm that over 10 million people in the US have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The CDC's research has helped the country maintain accurate statistics that other organizations use to determine actions.
