COVID-19 News Digest: January 2021

Vaccine rollouts have been moving slowly and states lack a robust plan to protect the communities hit the hardest by COVID. The country experienced its deadliest week since the pandemic began and there are reports that the UK strain is most likely already in the Bay Area. As a bright spot, new vaccines are getting approval and being administered in a number of countries across the world.

Indigenous Community Leadership in Response to COVID-19 – A Call to Action for the Philanthropic Sector |A report released by Native American in Philanthropy that analyzes philanthropic investments in response funds led by Indigenous people and communities, shares the perspectives of community leaders who organized these efforts, and provides key actions for the philanthropic sector.

“…the COVID-19 crisis and eventual recovery presents an opportunity for the philanthropic sector to learn more about these important funding and legal complexities and develop stronger funding strategies through meaningful and trusting relationships with tribes and Indigenous-led organizations.”

McKinsey & Company’s Collection of articles on food security | The collection seeks to answer this question: as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect access to food for many, what can food banks, distribution partners, philanthropic foundations, and the private sector do to increase resilience and ensure that people across North America have reliable access to nutritious meals?

The collection’s myriad of articles include:

• Turning over a new leaf: Using crisis to build back stronger
• US food supply chain: Disruptions and implications from COVID-19
• Partnering with Rethink Food to create a more equitable U.S. food system

What the San Francisco Bay Area Can Teach Us About Fighting a Pandemic | An interesting and nuanced New Yorker article on lessons from the Bay Area’s response to COVID and takeaways for vaccine distributions.

“Addressing these issues requires a redirection of our collective attention. Our society has a habit of ignoring essential workers and the indigent elderly; we readily scrutinize the behaviors of the able-bodied and the financially comfortable but look away from the settings where risk and suffering are placed on the most vulnerable.”