On this day in 2020, a new reality dawned on the country.
Following the World Health Organization’s announcement of a global pandemic one day prior, President Donald Trump formally declared America under a national emergency due to COVID-19. This official classification allowed nearly $50 billion to be used towards disease response efforts, economic damage control, and attempts to retain societal normalcy. The first front to be affected was school systems, which quickly transferred classes to a primarily-online format, a new protocol that was largely indefinite; schools that did not close were hit with strict social distancing rules including mask mandates, 6-foot distance requirements between students and cancelled events. Even now, five years later, COVID-19’s impact on schools is evident.
Beyond the classrooms, industries and businesses of all types, from vast corporations to family-owned businesses, were braced for economic ruin as lockdowns took effect. The stock market had one of the most tumultuous days in history, compounded by fears of a crash and panic buying, while grocery stores were instantly leached of things like toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Nearly every industry was ground to a halt: Broadway, Hollywood, NBA, Coachella and AMC Theaters, to name a few. Fear of the disease was potent throughout the country, especially in cities like New York or LA, where these industries are rooted. Some of these trades, such as travel and airlines, still face complications related to the aptly named “coronaphobia.” Many places still have mask and vaccine mandates, and in some cases, quarantines for passengers battling illness, regardless if it is COVID.
March 13 marked the first glimpse into what reality would look like in America for the foreseeable future. Five years later, despite COVID-19’s slight diminishment from the public’s paranoia, remnants of its touch linger. Not since the aftermath of September 11th had American citizens been so united in fear and uncertainty. Tensions began to rise between political parties, racial groups, and international figureheads— all fueled by a collective panic, although founded in the disease’s real danger, that quickly became weaponized by individuals seeking to take advantage of such a frightening, volatile chapter in American history.
Although March 13, 2020, is behind us, we cannot and will not forget its shadow– one that continues to loom over not only American citizens, but people across the world.
