On today’s NOTICE News: The Biden Administration announced it’s planning on ending the public health emergency around Covid-19. We take a look at what that means. Plus: Remembering the crew of the space shuttle Columbia. Here’s a transcript of today’s show.
Discussion Questions
- How does the pandemic no longer being labeled as a public health emergency change how it’s going to be dealt with?
- Why do you think a public health emergency needs to be reevaluated for renewal every 90 days?
- If people without insurance are going to likely need to pay more for Covid-19 vaccines, tests, treatments, etc., what part of the population is likely to be most affected by the change in the pandemic no longer being treated as a public health emergency?
- What do health experts hope countries around the world now do in terms of the future?
- Why would a crash like that of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003 have drawn criticism of the space program?
Writing Prompts
- While some people are grateful to move into a new phase of the pandemic, some are also apprehensive. Why might the people who are thankful that the public health emergency is over feel the way they do? For those who are at high-risk for severe disease, what might their feelings be about the recategorization of the pandemic as more “manageable,” especially since about 500 Americans are still dying daily?
- Considering the many issues that came to light with the pandemic, and the myriad of ways it affected people’s lives, what measures do you think countries could take to prepare for a future pandemic? Consider those that are health related, but also think about things that are tied to other aspects of society.
- Even with the tragedies of both the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, why might there be such renewed interest in the continuation of the space program now? What benefits could there be to continued research and development in that arena?
Further Reading
- Our top story: U.S. To End COVID-19 Emergency Health Declarations On May 11 (Reuters)
- Go deeper: What does the end of the public health emergency actually mean for you? (Reuters)
- Blinken appeals for calm in Israel-Palestine conflict during trip to Middle East (AP)
- What NASA learned from the Columbia disaster (Space.com)