Pandemic Response

A breakdown in the federal disaster response to the Covid-19 pandemic led to states and local governments taking the lead and attempting to devise their own strategies.  The lack of federal guidance meant that state and local governments were left to patch together their own responses with varying levels of success.  Decisions about mask wearing, business closures, school re-openings and public space restrictions were all made at the local level.

 

 

Mayor - able to create regulation governing mask mandates and associated fines, travel restrictions, park and recreation closures, business re-openings and indoor capacities.  Mayors make these decisions in conjunction with or sometimes in opposition  to guidance from their Governor.

Governor - able to declare a state of emergency, restrict business activities and guide business re-opening, mandate masks, authorize the re-opening of schools , direct nursing homes in their handling of covid patients and put in place capacity limits on gatherings.

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