The Coronavirus Pandemic ~ Timeline of the Past Year

Last March, our lives changed.  Our nation changed.  The world changed.  And although we all experienced the pandemic, we all did so differently.  We all have varying collections of fabric masks.  Some left our homes more than others.  Gatherings with friends and family may or may not have been limited.  We might have had to adapt to working and/or learning from home.  Some lost their jobs while others flourished.  Vacations were cancelled or modified.  We've had to grapple with the debate over where the perfect balance lies between safety and fear.  We watched how our country's democracy struggled to work through inequities, divisiveness and misinformation.

And yet, we have persevered and the days are getting brighter.  Case counts and deaths are down and vaccinations rates are increasing.  Some of our pre-COVID routines are returning again.  Sports with spectators.  Proms.  Graduations.  Family reunions.  Vacations.  Hugging!  Just a little reminder of how much we may have taken for granted prior to the pandemic.  Let's hope we continue to have gratitude for the little things in life.  

Maybe this summary of the past year during a global pandemic will keep our memories fresh:

MARCH 2020

March 11:  Governor Doug Ducey signed an executive order announcing a state of emergency in Arizona.

March 15:  School is out until...Grade school and college students were told to go home and stay there. Schools across the state were ordered to close.  Most students and teachers would resume class online to finish out the academic year. Graduations, retirement parties, proms, award ceremonies would have to go virtual or socially distanced.

March 20:  Arizona Public Health Officials Confirm First Death Due to COVID-19.

March 27:  The CARES Act passed the House and was signed into law by the president.

March 20-31:  Arizona closed for business.  Gyms, bars, and movie theaters were ordered to close.  Restaurants had to go to takeout service or drive-thru only.  Professional sports teams had already cut their play short. All non-essential business halted, and Arizona was officially on a semi-lockdown. People were asked to stay at home as much as possible.

APRIL 2020

April 29-30:  Adjusting to the 'new normal.'  The governor’s stay-at-home was extended to May 15 as the number of cases continued to climb throughout the state.  People who were able to work from home turned their living rooms into office space. Putting a mask on when we left house became routine.  The terms social distancing, flattening the curve, bubble, quaranteam, and maskne all became part of our vocabulary. 

MAY 2020

May 15:  Stay-at-home order expires.  Governor Doug Ducey allowed the stay-at-home order to expire and gave people more freedom, allowing pools and gyms to open and professional sports to begin again in Arizona.

May 26:  Protests, rioting and looting over police brutality and racial inequality erupted nationwide in the wake of George Floyd’s death, but the threat of COVID-19 remained, leading to elevated fears in the health community as huge crowds gathered.

JUNE 2020

June 17:  Mask up.  Gov. Ducey said he would leave it up to individual cities and counties to implement and enforce a mask mandate in public.  Maricopa County and many of its cities put some type of mask requirement in place. 

June 29:  Record high number of new cases in Arizona. There were 5,468 new cases reported this day. It was the highest number of new cases reported since reporting began, according to state health data.

AUGUST 2020

August 6:  Back to class?  Many school staff and state leaders across the country were left with decisions on whether to open schools in the fall amid the climbing coronavirus cases.

August 10:  Back in business?  Businesses that were closed began the process of reopening under strict reopening procedures.  Businesses had to apply with the state to reopen again.

NOVEMBER 2020

November 3:  Election Day.  Incumbent President Trump versus Democratic Nominee Joe Biden.  No news organizations declare a presidential winner.

DECEMBER 2020

December 11:  The FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, launching an epic vaccination campaign in the U.S. against the outbreak.

December 14: The first COVID-19 vaccinations start in the United States. The first doses are expected to go to front-line healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities, followed by other at-risk groups.

December 14: The electoral college confirms Joe Biden’s victory over President Trump.

December 20:  More than 317,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19; the international death toll is 1.69 million.

December 21:  The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133) was passed by Congress.  It is a $2.3 trillion spending bill that combines $900 billion in stimulus relief for the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States with a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill for the 2021 federal fiscal year and prevents a government shutdown.  According to the Senate Historical Office, at 5,593 pages, the legislation is the longest bill ever passed by Congress.

JANUARY 2021

January 6:  Supporters of President Donald Trump storm US Capitol in Washington during congressional certification of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's win, resulting in five deaths and prompting evacuation of lawmakers and vice-president Mike Pence.

January 7:  Arizona is now the COVID-19 “hotspot of the world" according to local health officials with an average of 118.3 new cases per 100,000 people.

January 8:  Arizona & Community/Business Partners Open 24/7 COVID-19 Vaccination Site at State Farm Stadium.

January 12: Nearly 4,000 vaccinated by 6 p.m. on first day of state 24/7 vaccination site.  It becomes the national model for vaccination sites.

January 20: Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States of America and Kamala Harris as the 49th Vice President, the first female, black or south Asian Vice President. Amanda Gorman recites "The Hill We Climb".

FEBRUARY 2021

February 15:  Josh and I volunteered overnight at the state-run State Farm Stadium.  Receive our first Pfizer vaccination at the end of that shift.

MARCH 2021

March 5:  Governor Ducey lifts capacity restrictions at gyms, restaurants, and other businesses Friday, citing lower COVID cases and increased vaccination.

March 6: US Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill the American Rescue Plan Act.

March 9:  Josh and I received our second dose of the Pfizer vaccination. 

March 22: Arizona Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility to All Adults.

March 25: Arizona passes 3 million mark for COVID-19 vaccine doses administered.