Alanna Joyner
Amid the deadly spread of COVID-19, public health officials view the safest and most effective option to vote is through an expanded use of voting by mail. Five states currently conduct all elections entirely by mail, with North Carolina among several other states, considering the option in order to protect voters from the virus. Yet,…
Read MoreRural areas in North Carolina have seen numerous hospitals closed resulting in dwindling options on where to receive medical care. Out of the 100 counties in North Carolina, seventeen do not have state-licensed hospitals resulting in residents — if they are able — traveling up to 30 miles in some cases to the nearest medical…
Read MoreAcross the state, food banks have responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by overhauling their food distribution to minimize social contact and focusing efforts on at-risk clients. But with unemployment claims soaring to over 474,466, food insecurity for thousands may produce challenges for food banks that distribute food within their communities. In response to the encroaching…
Read MoreJust two weeks ago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) agents attempted to detain an undocumented worker in Cary just after the enforcement agency announced plans to limit enforcement actions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the largest national public health crisis gripping the nation, already vulnerable communities are being left behind. For immigrant populations, safety concerns,…
Read MoreSince mid-March, over 445,101 workers in North Carolina have filed for unemployment insurance and the sobering reality of how limited unemployment benefits are, is a challenge the state must face. North Carolina’s broken unemployment insurance system plagued by the GOP’s 2013 restructure of the system, has been stripped of its capabilities to deliver adequate aid…
Read MoreNew projection models released today shows that social distancing practices will significantly reduce the chance that hospitals will be overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. A team of local health experts determined that if social distance policies remain, predictions of increased cases could lessen — emphasizing the importance of maintaining social distancing. From WRAL: The model shows…
Read MoreIn the midst of a public health crisis, various communities are being heavily impacted and the necessity to provide vital information for everyone as society consistently changes due to COVID-19, is important. But that lifesaving information can be lost in translation or limited for those within the deaf community. In a state that has almost…
Read MorePivotal measures such as self-distancing and social-isolation have been mandated across the United States in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous states have implemented “stay-at-home” orders, but what if individuals do not have homes to go to? According to a 2018 report by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, on a…
Read MoreAccording to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina currently has 1,498 confirmed coronavirus cases across the state. As cases continue to rise, medical professionals remain concerned about lack of protective equipment, medical supplies and the potential for hospitals across the state to become overwhelmed by patients. At the first meeting…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has announced a stay-at-home order for the state of North Carolina that will go into effect at 5 p.m. today until April 29, but “can be revised or extended”. The mandate is an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to spread through the state. Travel is only…
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