Postal carriers, delivery workers keep Americans safe at home during coronavirus
A mail carrier says she misses seeing her customers but believes she’s playing an essential role in keeping Americans safely isolated at home.With each practiced flip of a mailbox lid, Bezerra reassures another household that, although the coronavirus has upended much of society, many basic services are running like clockwork.
Ira Carroll restocks the ice cream in the frozen section of Saturn Super Foods, in Detroit's 48228 ZIP code, where he has worked for 22 years.
CHICAGO — Train tracks run above the intersection of Kinzie Street and Ashland Avenue, two major streets that meet on Chicago's West Side. On one corner of the intersection, there's a trampoline park and new brewery. On the opposite corner, empty buildings for lease.
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A woman pregnant with twins drove herself to the hospital when her water broke. She and her husband both had COVID-19.Jennifer Laubach was battling COVID-19 symptoms the day her water broke. So was her husband, who raced upstairs to pack his wife's hospital bag, worried as she wasn't due for another eight weeks.
In one direction, a ZIP code relatively unscathed by the coronavirus outbreak. In the other, a community decimated by the disease. One mostly white, with six-figure incomes the norm. One mostly minority and earning much slimmer paychecks.
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Darnell Shields, executive director of the Chicago community group Austin Coming Together, said COVID-19's disparate impacts arise from food and housing instability, shaky neighborhood economies and limited access to quality education and health care.
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"It creates a fertile ground for something like a virus to come in," Shields said.
As the U.S. surpassed a milestone of one million known cases of COVID-19 this week, ZIP code data show the virus has run rampant through some neighborhoods while leaving residents in adjoining areas much less impaired.
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USA TODAY took an exclusive look at how the pandemic has been felt in neighborhoods across the nation by collecting the ZIP code-level data from health departments in 12 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.
COVID-19 case report summaries were assembled for more than 3,200 ZIP codes – about 10% of the nearly 33,000 in the U.S. Case data were matched with census demographic data to show how infection rates differed in ZIP codes by race, income and housing characteristics.
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The results paint a grim picture of COVID's devastation in places just miles or blocks from communities experiencing far less harm.
In the poorest neighborhoods, where median household income is less than $35,000, the COVID-19 infection rate was twice as high as in the nation’s wealthiest ZIP codes, with income more than $75,000.
Infection rates were five times higher in majority-minority ZIP codes than in ZIP codes with less than 10% nonwhite population.
Of the top 10 ZIP codes with 10 or more cases – one in Florida, one in Michigan, the other eight in New York City – nine are areas where at least two-thirds of the residents are nonwhite. Five are areas where household income is below the national median of $60,293.
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A CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) volunteer checking appointments and directing cars lining up for coronavirus testing in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles, California, on May 2.
People visit Liberty State Park after many New Jersey Parks set to re-open during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jersey City, New Jersey, on May 2.
Members of ReOpen Maryland display signs while listening to a speaker during a road rally procession calling for the re-opening for the state of Maryland amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Salisbury, Maryland, on May 2.
NYU Langone Medical Center staffers ask a New York City firefighter to photograph them in front of the firetrucks gathering for the 7 p.m. appreciation clap for health care workers amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 2, in New York.
People crowd on sidewalks and inside of several restaurants that were open for business in Wickenburg, Ariz., on May 2. Two restaurants in the community that allowed people to eat in the establishments in violation of an order issued by Arizona's governor to help stop the spread of the coronavirus will be reported to the town attorney for a decision on possible citations, police said Saturday.
A vendor hands bagged produce to a customer at a vegetable stand still open at the Pike Place Market during the coronavirus outbreak on May 2, in Seattle, Washington.
A worker wearing a mask to protect against the coronavirus waters plants at a Joe Randazzo’s store in Roseville, Mich., on May 2. With temperatures in the 70s, people were buying flowers, a week after Michigan lifted a ban on nursery sales.
A formation of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly past the Washington Monument as a collaborative salute to first responders and other essential personnel, on May 2.
Laila Cronin, left, and Riley Cronin compete in a bed race in their family's driveway, on May 2, in Louisville, Kentucky. With the Kentucky Derby and its festival of activities postponed until September, the family had their own celebration.
Linda White, third from right, poses with family and friends as she wears her cap and gown while celebrating graduation with a bachelor of science in elementary education and special education from Grand Canyon University, on May 1, in Simi Valley, California.
A masked woman walks by a closed theater as Ohio implements phase one of reopening dentists, veterinarians, and elective surgeries, in Columbus, Ohio, on May 1.
An "in this together" sign is placed in a window as Ohio implements phase one of reopening dentists, veterinarians and elective surgeries, following the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Columbus, on May 1.
President Donald J. Trump presents an award to TJ Kim, a sophomore at The Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland, during a ceremony at the White House, honoring volunteers helping others deal with coronavirus.
An aerial view shows a crowd of protesters calling to reopen businesses and beaches as the growing coronavirus pandemic continues to cripple the economy on May 1, in Huntington Beach, California.
Healthcare workers hold up signs thanking the public during a tribute to health workers at the Lenox Health Greenwich Village Hospital in New York, on May 1.
Lights are placed on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol as Minnesota nurses, firefighters, frontline workers, and employees designated essential gather on May 1, in St. Paul, to honor those who have become infected with COVID-19 while on the job.
Turkey's medical aid packages are being unloaded from a military cargo plane, carrying the second batch of medical supplies, following its arrival at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C., on May 1, delivering aid to its NATO ally battling the coronavirus outbreak.
Customers and employees of Petty Cash clothing store wear masks as restaurants and stores are reopened following the lifting of some restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Houston, Texas, on May 1.
Crew members stand aboard the crude oil tanker Aristaios, anchored near the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, as viewed from a United States Coast Guard patrol boat amid the coronavirus pandemic, on May 1.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during his daily press briefing on May 1 in Albany, New York. Cuomo stated that New York will eliminate deductibles for mental health services for frontline workers.
Manager Roxanne Martinez, talks with waitstaff before opening at El Tiempo Cantina on May 1 in Houston. The restaurant reopened their dining room for table service, with limited capacity, Friday.
Medical professionals and their supporters wearing protective face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus demand safer working conditions and policies during a May Day protest near Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia on May 1.
The Westin South Coast Plaza hotel is seen lit up with a heart in a message of hope during the coronavirus outbreak on April 30 in Costa Mesa, California.
Aerial view of over 100 vehicles lined up at the West Valley COVID-19 testing center at Warner Center, on April 30, in Woodland Hills, California. Testing for the coronavirus has opened up for public.
Health care workers look on as four members of Hill Air Force Base's 388th Fighter Wing fly in formation over the University of Utah Hospital, on April 30, in Salt Lake City. The flyover was a "thank you" to health care workers, first responders, military members, and essential personnel, as well as those who are staying home to help "flatten the curve".
Postal workers May Chen, left and Wilson Yu wear masks and gloves as they sort mail at the United States Postal Service processing and distribution center, on April 30, in Oakland.
U.S. President Donald Trump signs a presidential proclamation declaring an "Older Americans Month 2020" during an event about senior citizens and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the East Room at the White House in Washington, on April 30.
Beatrice Diaz wears a protective face mask as she passes out pet food at a drive-thru pet food bank held by the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department during the new coronavirus pandemic on April 30 in Doral, Florida.
Gasoline prices are posted at a Mobil station in Candia, New Hampshire on April 30. Rising stockpiles and lowered demand are contributing to the low prices.
A pedestrian waits for a Chicago Transit Authority bus as several COVID-19 public service messages are projected on screens at the bus stop on April 30 in Chicago, Illinois.
President Donald Trump meets with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli (L) and Response coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force Deborah Birx (R) in the White House in Washington, D.C on April 30.
Animal rights activists with PETA rally in front of the White House to demand that meat slaughterhouses, where hundreds of workers have tested positive for coronavirus, remain closed on April 30 in Washington, D.C.
The Empire State Building is illuminated in blue to honor first responders and essential workers as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues in the Manhattan borough of New York, on April 29.
Physician Lauren Bernese administers a test for COVID-19 to Rachael Benson, a case manager at Interbay Village, a village of tiny houses managed by the Low Income Housing Institute, in Seattle, Washington, on April 29.
An unemployed worker checks looks at the State of Michigan unemployment site, on April 29, in Detroit. As of mid-April, about 26 million Americans had filed unemployment claims in the first five weeks since governments began ordering people to stay home and some businesses to close as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus. It's already the worst stretch of job losses in the Unites States' history.
Volunteers ready to load food into recipients cars at a food distribution point for people economically impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, organized by New Orleans City Councilman Jay Banks, on April 29.
A woman walks on the sidewalk next to a mural during COVID-19 pandemic, in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, on April 29.
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Local health officials say not all neighborhood differences in infection rates are driven by race and income. Some arise from limited access to testing sites or a lack of interest among some residents in being tested. Areas with more nursing homes may also show higher rates of infection.
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But the USA TODAY analysis shows socioeconomic factors have played important roles.
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From one neighborhood to the next, disparities in income, diversity and COVID-19 infections
The intersection of Kinzie and Ashland in Chicago marks the boundary between ZIP code 60642, which centers on the Noble Square neighborhood, and ZIP code 60612, which covers much of the East Garfield Park neighborhood.
In Noble Square, the virus infection rate last week was about 20 per 10,000 residents. In neighboring East Garfield, the confirmed case rate was more than four times as high – about 86 per 10,000 residents. The testing rate was also higher in East Garfield Park, but that difference doesn't come close to explaining its much higher caseload.
Touched less severely by the coronavirus, Noble Square is a hub of young professionals bustling with a restaurant and nightlife scene. Around 60% of the population is white, and the median household income is about $101,900.
Amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, Curtis Sulcer wipes down an escalator for shoppers at the North Park Mall in Dallas, Saturday, May 2, 2020. Texas charged into its first weekend of re-opening the economy with residents allowed to go back to malls, restaurants, movie theaters and retail stores in limited numbers.
Tymber Bryant, left, and Jackie Baker, with the 228 Theater Tactical Signal Brigade of the South Carolina National Guard in Spartanburg, place food in the car of Sterling Crawford of Abbeville, food from Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina at the Department of Social Services Abbeville County Government Buildings in Abbeville, S.C. on Friday, May 1, 2020. Donal Dickens, the Williamston Branch Manager of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina said there was enough food for three days for 500 families who drove through, which ran out in two hours.
United States Postal Service mail carrier Frank Colon, 59, delivers mail amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 30, 2020 in El Paso, Texas. Everyday the United States Postal Service employees work and deliver essential mail to customers.
Medical workers take in patients outside of a special coronavirus intake area at Maimonides Medical Center on May 01, 2020 in the Borough Park neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Hospitals in New York City, which have been especially hard hit by the coronavirus, are just beginning to see a downturn in COVID-19 cases.
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The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort prepares to depart Manhattan's West Side to return to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on April 30, 2020 in New York City. The USNS Comfort, a floating hospital in the form of a Navy ship, is departing New York after the last patient aboard was discharged earlier this week. The Comfort's 1,000 beds and 12 operation rooms were deployed to ease pressure on New York hospitals amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Pedestrians walk past a sign in front of the The Anthem, a popular live music venue, displaying a message of support amid the coronavirus pandemic, on April 29, 2020, in Washington, DC.
Richard Frady of Hartwell, Georgia, a recovering COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit at AnMed Health in Anderson, waves a "Can't Wait to be Home!" sign on his 32nd day after diagnosis, to his wife Sally Frady and daughter Allison Nissen of Atlanta, from his window at the hospital with medical staff in Anderson, S.C. Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
Phoenix Fire Department engineer Jake Fierros, left, receives a free antibody test for the new coronavirus, administered by Phoenix Fire Department engineer paramedic Johnny Johnson at the Phoenix Fire Department training facility in Phoenix on April 28, 2020. Antibody tests, do not test for the presence of COVID-19 itself, but detect whether someone has the antibodies in their immune system to fight off the virus. Within ten minutes after taking the test that first responder was notified by phone if they tested positive. The tests available to all members of the Phoenix Fire Department were organized by the United Phoenix Firefighters Association.
A person wears a mask to protect against the coronavirus, votes in the Ohio primary election at the Hamilton County Board of Elections on Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Norwood, a suburb of Cincinnati.
AnMed Health staff and bystanders take photos and video of F-16 planes from The South Carolina Air National Guard 169th Fighter Wing flying over the hospital in Anderson, S.C. Monday, April 27, 2020. The group stated they "are humbled by the sacrifices made from our first responders and healthcare professionals. As our jets return from a training mission late Monday morning, 27 April, our six-ship formation of Swamp Fox F-16 fighter jets will split off into three groups, with each group flying over different regions of the state in a display of national thanks to all who are fighting the good fight.""Our flight planners did their best to cover as many areas of our great state that flight limitations could allow. We wish we could flyover everyone who are contributing to winning the fight against COVID-19."
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A waiter at Gloria's Latin Cuisine in serves up lunch to patrons on the patio in Colleyville, Texas on April 27, 2020.
Vehicles line up to receive food during a donation drive by World Central Kitchen in the parking lot of the Camden Yards Sports Complex, Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Baltimore. World Central Kitchen conducted its food relief operation during the coronavirus outbreak to help relieve food insecurity faced by Baltimore's vulnerable communities, at the request of Governor Larry Hogan.
Eric Jones, 15, bowls as his dad, Heath, watches in the backyard of their Oklahoma City home, Tuesday, April 21, 2020. Health and his son Eric built a bowling lane in their backyard so that Eric, a competitive bowler, could continue to bowl while bowling alleys are closed.
Edwar Johnson works on making protective masks in Warren, Mich., Thursday, April 23, 2020. General Motors has about 400 workers at the now-closed transmission plant in suburban Detroit.
Caskets of Muslims who have passed away from the coronavirus are prepared for burial at a busy Brooklyn funeral home on the first day of Ramadan on April 24, 2020 in New York. Like the majority of New York City funeral homes, services that deal with the dead in New York's Muslim communities have been overwhelmed with the large number of deceased. Around the world, Muslims are preparing to observe the holy month of Ramadan under severe restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. New York City, which has been the hardest hit city in America from COVID-19, is starting to see a slowdown in hospital visits and a lowering of the daily death rate from the virus.
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Cars line up for food at the Utah Food Bank's mobile food pantry at the Maverik Center, Friday, April 24, 2020, in West Valley City, Utah. As coronavirus concerns continue, the need for assistance has increased, particularly at the Utah Food Bank.
Fitness coordinator Janet Hollander, leads a session of Balcony Boogie from outside Willamette Oaks in Eugene, Oregon for residents sheltering in their apartments during the COVID-19 shutdown Tuesday April 21, 2020. The staff of the senior housing center have modified some of the regular routines for residents, staging activities like morning stretches and aerobic opportunities while still observing social distancing protocols.
Sheila Parr and her daughters Violet Cann, left, 7, and Stella Cann, 5, donate food and toilet paper to the Little Free Library on Princeton Drive in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday April 21, 2020. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, many of the book exchange boxes around the U.S. are being repurposed as sharing boxes with free food and toilet paper.
The Paterson fire department COVID-19 EMS unit responds to a call for a person under investigation of having the coronavirus on April 16, 2020. Paterson has one of the highest coronavirus caseloads in N.J., with about 3,000 residents testing positive, according to New Jersey health officials.
Alma Cropper, 84, left, is given a coronavirus test near her vehicle at a walk-up testing center, April 20, 2020, in Annapolis, Md. According to the City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, the testing site began with a limited number of tests for people with symptoms on Monday.
People wait in line for a coronavirus test at one of the new walk-in COVID-19 testing sites that opened at the located in the parking lot of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health Morrisania in the Bronx Section of New York on April 20, 2020.
A pedestrian uses a face cover while walking in downtown Durham, N.C., Friday, April 17, 2020. Gov. Roy Cooper's stay-home orders remain in effect as the coronavirus has not yet reached its peak in the state according to some hospitals.
IMPD cadets salute during a traditional 10-42 end of duty call for IMPD Officer Breann Leath, Thursday, April 16, 2020. "I'm just heartbroken," Hannon, who indicated she has members of her family on police departments, said about the death of Leath.
A mourner attends the funeral of Saul Sanchez, a longtime JBS employee that died of the coronavirus disease, at Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Greeley, Colo. on Apr 15, 2020.
Mike Lane, a gas station attendant, tries to protect himself the best way he can to avoid the coronavirus while working at a Sunoco in Ridgefield Park, N.J. on April 15, 2020. NJ is the only state with full service gas in the country.
To reduce the number of times a patient's room door is opened and the amount of personal protective equipment required, nurses in the intensive care unit of MedStar St. Mary's Hospital communicate through a window with an erasable whiteboard from a COVID-19 patient's room on April 14, 2020 in Leonardtown, Maryland.
This trio finds ample room to walk through a Rochester, N.Y. neighborhood on April 14, 2020 while following social distancing protocols during the coronavirus pandemic.
A woman gestures to a child in a protective face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus to pose for a photograph with the Rocky statue outfitted with mock surgical face mask at the Philadelphia Art Museum in Philadelphia, April 14, 2020.
Rick Bausé of Hopewell Junction, NY., shares an Easter card with his mother Marjorie, 96, a resident at Atria on Hudson, an assisted living facility in Ossining, N.Y., during an Easter morning visit April 12, 2020. Bausé has been having what he calls "window visits" his mother at least once a week since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Finn, Thunder and Lego at the window of Ronald Boik visiting him as their owner Nicole George holds their leashes at the Cedar Woods Assisted Living in Belleville, Michigan on Saturday, April 11, 2020. Nicole and Tim George brought their three alpacas, Thunder, Finn and Lego to the nursing home to brighten up the day for some of the 110 residents that live there. Nozmi Elder, 70 of Dearborn and owner of Cedar Woods Assisted Living said most of the residents have been confined to their rooms for the past three weeks as precautions for the Coronavirus and thought the site of alpacas visiting them would lift their spirits.
Nurse Kevin Anderson wears a full face mask inside an intensive care unit of the new Harris County Non-Congregate Medical Shelter at NRG Park Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Houston.
Lisa Chamblee buys produce at Concord Market in Anderson, S.C. April 9, 2020. The market sells food and plants from local sources and is selling well according to the business.
A man wearing a mask walks by St. John's United Methodist Church COVID-19 Cross of Hope in Anderson, S.C. on April 9, 2020. The cross with royal blue ribbons for each diagnosed person in South Carolina started when there were 450 cases, but as the cross was placed in front of the church Thursday morning, the cases in South Carolina are at 2,552 with 63 deaths.
Sandra Cooley waves from her window to the Easter Bunny as he visits Crimson Village assisted living community Thursday, April 9, 2020. The bunny came from Amediysis, a home health, hospice care and personal care company that serves Crimson Village. The bunny stayed outside the building to ensure safety from COVID-19 exposure to the residents.
Rabbi Dean Shapiro (left) of Temple Emanuel in Tempe, angles his laptop so others online can see their Seder plate as Shapiro's partner, Haim Ainsworth and their son, Jacob Shapiro-Ainsworth, 11, look on, as they participate in an online Seder during the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover at their home in Tempe on April 8, 2020. The Seder which included members from Temple Emanuel was being held online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
First Responders gathered outside of Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. on April 8, 2020, to applaud the doctors, nurses and staff for the hard work they are doing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Nurses in the emergency department of MedStar St. Mary's Hospital don personal protective equipment before entering the room of a patient suspected of having coronavirus April 8 in Leonardtown, Md.
A whimsical display fashioned like giant high-demand toilet paper rolls draws attention to Hub City Smokehouse's curbside service on Main Street in historic downtown Crestview, Fla. on April 7, 2020.
Lawrence University student Malcom Davis sanitizes his hands after voting during the Wisconsin primaries at Memorial Presbyterian Church, April 7, 2020, in Appleton, Wisc.
A woman looks for a director after voting at Riverside High School in Milwaukee on April 7, 2020. The Wisconsin primary is moving forward in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic after Gov. Tony Evers sought to shut down Tuesday's election in a historic move Monday that was swiftly rejected by the conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court by the end of the day.
Becky Kops, right, uses a picker to hand her friend, Dajen Bohachek, a present as friends of Bohachek, of Bayside, held a social distance drive by birthday party for her during the coronavirus to celebrate her 44th birthday in Bayside, Wis. on Friday, April 3, 2020. The group decorated their vehicles at the Fox Point Village Hall before heading to Bohachek’s home to celebrate from the road. The stay at home order and the necessity to stay socially distant from each other has inspired creative ways for people to connect.
An Arlington County employee speaks with a woman at a drive-thru donation point created to collect unused and unopened personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and some food items to help people responding to the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, in Arlington, Virginia on April 3, 2020.
Lorena Dominguez, a campus operations specialist at the IDEA Rundberg charter school in Austin, Texas, teaches math to kindergartener Reighan Holzkamp, 6, on Wednesday April 1, 2020. Ten children of first responders and essential workers are being taught at the school amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The City of Phoenix closes park amenities due to the COVID-19 health crisis on the first day of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's "stay at home" order at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix on April 1, 2020.
A body wrapped in plastic is prepared to be loaded onto a refrigerated container truck used as a temporary morgue by medical workers due to COVID-19 concerns, March 31, 2020, at Brooklyn Hospital Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
The Oculus Transportation Hub at the World Trade Center in Manhattan was all but empty March 30, 2020 as the stores that ring the site are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Rep. Vincent Pierre, D-Dist. 44, wears gloves as he holds his hand to his heart for the Pledge of Allegiance, as legislators convene in a limited number while exercising social distancing, due to the new coronavirus pandemic, at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., March 31, 2020. They assembled briefly on the last day bills could be introduced during the legislative session.
Medical personnel take people out of the Gallatin Center for Rehabilitation and Healing on Monday, March 30, 2020, in Gallatin Tenn. As of Sunday, 74 residents and 33 staff members at the facility has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a spokesperson for Gov. Bill Lee.
People prepare places to sleep in area marked by painted boxes on the ground of a parking lot at a makeshift camp for the homeless, March 30, 2020, in Las Vegas. Officials opened part of a parking lot as a makeshift homeless shelter after a local shelter closed when a man staying there tested positive for the coronavirus.
A postal service carrier dons gloves as he delivers mail in Jackson, Miss., March 30, 2020. The letter carrier, who asked to not be identified, said other carriers in his post office also have started to wear gloves amid concerns for the new coronavirus.
Dave Heinzel installs one of his handmade signs with the saying "Everything Will Be Ok" along with a 3D red heart that he handmade in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in front of a home on West Lawrence Avenue, Wednesday, March 25, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. Heinzel started taking requests for the signs on social media and the demand soared to over 200 requests. "I really think everything will be okay," said Heinzel. "It's going to get worse and it's not going to be fun and we're going to lose people we know, but it will be okay."
Gary Meyer, owner of Friedrichs Coffee, throws a bag of coffee into a car window at Friedrichs Coffee in Urbandale, Iowa, on Saturday, March 28, 2020. Meyer spent Saturday morning giving free bags of coffee to residents to help pull the community together as residents spend more time isolated in their homes due to the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Nurses stand on a hill outside the emergency entrance to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx borough of New York, Saturday, March 28, 2020, as they demonstrate with members of the New York Nursing Association in support of obtaining an adequate supply of personal protective equipment for those treating coronavirus patients. A member of the New York nursing community died earlier in the week at another New York hospital. The city leads the nation in the number of coronavirus cases. Nurses say they are having to reuse their protective equipment endangering patients and themselves.
A lone traveler enters an empty baggage claim area in Terminal Four at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix on Mar. 27, 2020. Airlines are reducing flights due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
Teacher Julie Dannenmueller holds her sign for the students with the help of the Caped Crusader as teachers from Bluewater Elementary school have a parade through their school’s neighborhoods to sat “hi” to their homebound students on March 27, 2020 in Niceville, FL.
Robert Becker walks his dogs while carrying a .410 bore shotgun as a precaution due to the new coronavirus pandemic on March 26, 2020, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
University of Cincinnati sophomore's Allison Brown, left, and Vanessa Perez, walk through the toilet paper section at Target in Newport, Ky., on March 14, 2020.
A general view of a lock on the main entrance gate on what was supposed to be opening day between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Zach Tobler lifts weights in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on Thursday March 26, 2020, the second day of the shelter in place order due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tobler said his gyms have closed but he is continuing to train for an upcoming bodybuilding competition.
Mary Lou Vignola, center, waves to her neighbors during a socially distant block party she and her husband Frank Vignola helped organize on March, 21, 2020 for their neighborhood off Hawkins Lane in Eugene, Ore. over the weekend.
Tom Giesfeldt, of Milwaukee walks his his dogs in an empty Miller Park parking lot on what would have been the Milwaukee Brewers opening day game against the Chicago Cubs in Milwaukee on Thursday, March 26, 2020. The game was postponed due to the coronavirus.
Playground equipment is taped off to prevent use at Tysons Woods Park due to Coronavirus on March 26, 2020. Fairfax County, Virginia has closed some parks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Kate Madsen, 6, displays her drawing in her window in hopes that it would cheer her neighbors up on March 25, 2020 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Madsen and her first-grade classmates are learning remotely to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at Robert Frost Elementary School. The 6-year-old says she misses her teachers, friends and art class.
Gloria Lyons, 37, of Detroit, left, sits with a mask on as her husband Kirk Myers, 32, asks questions at a meeting before they go leafleting. The Detroit Water and Sewage Department is leafleting Wednesday, March 25, 2020 to let customers know that if their water was shut off it will be restored due to the Novel Coronavirus outbreak.
Becky Kreager, center, her husband Doug, granddaughter Kamdem Villemeure, 1, center left, talk to their neighbors the Runkel family in Milan, Mich. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
Lori Glazer of Ossining, N.Y. rides an empty Metro-North train in to New York City during the morning rush hour March 25, 2020. Glazer is a registered nurse in the Children's Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She says that riding the empty trains is surreal and that it's scary going into the city because "you never know when you're going to get sick."
A low number of vehicles travel on a normally busy Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee on March 24, 2020. Scores of businesses will close for a month under a new order from Gov. Tony Evers aimed at keeping people in their homes to limit the spread of coronavirus in Wisconsin.
Residents at The Waterford at St. Luke Senior Independent Living Community emerge from their apartments to wave flags and sing "God Bless America" on their balconies and porches in North Canton, Ohio on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, they must remain in their living areas.
Nearly deserted walking paths of the National Mall with the U.S. Capitol seen in the background on March 23, 2020 as officials urge the public to avoid the DC's famous cherry blossoms and are taking steps of closing down public streets to traffic in order to keep visitors away and prevent possible coronavirus spread.
Mail carrier Jasmine Armstrong wears a mask while delivering the mail in Peekskill, N.Y. March 23, 2020. Armstrong says the the postal service supplies gloves and a mask, and she is maintaining the recommended six feet from others in order to avoid being exposed to the Covid-19 virus.
Alba Sanchez, right, and her children, left to right, Stefanie Mendoza, 16, Alberto Mendoza, 11, and Iker Mendoza, 6, pick up their free breakfast and lunch that was delivered on a school bus to Park Place at Loyola apartments on Monday March 23, 2020 in Austin, Texas. Austin ISD continued to provide free meals to its students and their parents amid the school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Palm Beach Atlantic University student Bella Langston of Dallas, Texas, carries here bedding to her car after students were asked to go home to help curb the spread of the coronavirus in West Palm Beach, Fla on March 23, 2020.
People wait in line with appropriate social distancing for the 8 a.m. opening of the H-E-B in the Tanglewood Village Shopping Center in South Austin, Texas on Sunday March 22, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Anne Peepas is blessed by Deacon Bill Shea who was posted in a window on Sunday, March 22, 2020 at St. Joseph Church in Charlton, Mass. The parishioners parked their cars at the front entrance and walked up to the windows to receive their blessings.
Daily routines must continue, Sammy Irizarry of Passaic, wears a mask and gloves as a precaution against COVID-19 while washing his clothes at Tri-City Laundromat on Sunday, March 22, 2020. Irizarry has preexisting health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure and is still working.
Police officers direct drivers as they enter Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, New York on March 22, 2020. The park was the first site set in Westchester County set up for Covid-19 testing. New Rochelle was the epicenter of the spread of the Covid-19 virus after congregants of a neighborhood synagogue were the first to be diagnosed with the virus.
Signs block the paths to the beach at the Okaloosa Island, Florida, Boardwalk, Saturday, March 21, 2020, as beach closure orders are in effect for Walton and Okaloosa Counties in the Northwest Florida panhandle.
Times Square in Manhattan was far emptier than usual for a Saturday afternoon March 21, 2020. Coronavirus concerns have closed almost all businesses and kept most New Yorkers indoors.
A security guard walks through a sparsely populated transit hub in the downtown financial district as retail stores remain shuttered due to COVID-19 concerns, Saturday, March 21, 2020, in New York. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced sweeping orders Friday that will severely restrict gatherings of any size for the state's more than 19 million residents and will require workers in nonessential businesses to stay home.
Medical personnel administer tests to New Jersey residents at the drive-through coronavirus testing center at Bergen County Community College in Paramus, New Jersey on Friday, March 20, 2020.
A sign at Ever Open Cafe references the statewide closure of restaurants in Fort Collins, Colo. on Friday, March 20, 2020. Gov.¤Jared Polis ordered all Colorado restaurants, bars and breweries close to public dining and drinking on Monday, March 16, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Bethany Baker/The Coloradoan via USA Today Network. (Via OlyDrop)
Shoppers line up at a grocery store in Ardsley, NY early Friday morning, March 20, 2020. The store is limiting shoppers and attempting to enforce social distancing.
A man wears a mask on his face and a camera around his neck as he looks at a mostly empty Times Square in New York City, early Thursday evening, March 19 2020.
Eva's Village distributes meals to-go to hundreds of north Jersey residents in need during the ongoing coronavirus epidemic on March 19, 2020. The change from sit down meals to take away, is aimed to help minimize the spread of the coronavirus by limiting or canceling in-person events consisting of 50 people or more, according to CDC guidelines.
Two Taiwanese tourists wear masks while taking in the view at Mather Point at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Mar. 18, 2020. Due to the coronavirus COVID-19, park entrance fees are suspended, shuttle bus service is suspended and visitor centers are closed.
Gillian Goldman-Klein helps her son Ethan,6, with his math work as he does his school work at their Bedford, N.Y. home March 18, 2020. Ethan is a first-grader at the Bedford Village Elementary School. Students of all ages have started schooling at home as schools have closed due to coronavirus concerns.
Aerial view of the Lincoln Tunnel entrance during the morning rush hour commute where few cars are seen on the road during the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday March 18, 2020 in Weehawken, N. J.
Jordan Cook of Anderson Interfaith Ministries Hunger Ministries, gets ready to load a car in the drive-through during food pantry hours in Anderson, S.C., March 18, 2020.
Former employees at Redfire Grill in Hockessin, Del. come in for free to help owner Carl Georigi shut down and sort through perishable food for his employees to take home on March 17, 2020. Georigi had to lay off nearly 400 employees across his 6 restaurants after dine-in services were banned by Gov. John Carney Monday afternoon.
Ashley Layton, an LPN at St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center, communicates with a person before taking a swab sample at a special outdoor drive-thru screening station for COVID-19 coronavirus in Meridian, Idaho on March 17, 2020.
Clark Drobek works at processing collections of swabs taken from various patients to see if they tested negative or positive for the Coronavirus COVID-19. The pathology and laboratory medicine labs at the Henry Ford Hospital on W. Grand Blvd in Detroit , Mich. were very busy on March 17, 2020 with many medical technologists and laboratory managers working long hours.
A New Orleans Police Department cruiser drives past Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, known as the oldest bar in the United States dating back to the 1700s, as it enforces an order from Louisiana's Governor John Bel Edwards to shut bars and restaurants state-wide to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, La., March 16, 2020.
With gloves, mask and gown on, Johanna Mannone, 79, caresses and hugs her husband Michael Mannone in the front room of WellBridge of Rochester Hills, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Rochester Hills, Michigan on March 13, 2020.She didn't know when she'd get to see him again, perhaps in a few days as the center is restricting visitors because of the Coronavirus Covid-19. She was only able to visit her husband who has lived here for 6 months for a half hour.
Kristi Rodriguez takes the sack lunches being handed out by Student Nutrition workers at Johnston Elementary School in Abilene, Texas on Tuesday March 17, 2020. Rodriguez was feeding her nine-year-old son Lucas and two other children in the back seat. The Abilene Independent School District is handing out breakfast and lunch to students at designated schools around the city.
Volunteers from the nonprofit Sponsored By Grace gathered across the street from the Vista Landing apartments on Cleveland Road in Jacksonville, Fla to distribute 11 pallets of food including dry goods, produce and meat from Feeding Northeast Florida Tuesday, March 17, 2020. According to Ron Armstrong, the Executive Director of Sponsored By Grace his organization has sponsored children in the neighborhood for some time but with the closing of schools due to the coronavirus fears and the the closing of the nearby Save A Lot, two major sources of food for the communities children, they decided to bring food to the community. "It is good that the schools are providing free lunches" said Armstrong "but 70 percent of the neighborhood does not have transportation and with the closed Save A Lot the area has become a food desert." Much of the food from Feeding Northeast Florida was donated by The Players Championship after the cancelation of this years golf tournament.
Mar 17, 2020; Valhalla, NY, USA; A car enters an area where tents are set up on the grounds of the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla for Coronavirus testing by appointment only March 17, 2020.
Bethel School District workers staff a station to hand out breakfast and lunch bags to students at Fairfield Elementary School in Eugene, Ore. on March 16, 2020.
A medical team prepares to test people for COVID-19 at a drive through station set up in the parking lot of FoundCare, federally qualified health center in West Palm Beach, Fla. on March, 16, 2020.
Helen Wood, a client advocate, and Nicole Davis, a special events planer, prepare food packages for client pickup on March 16, 2020. The Center for Food Action in Englewood, NJ is limiting the packing of food donations and access to the inside of their pantry to staff only in accordance to social distancing recommendations to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus. Clients picking up food are doing so outside and all employees are wearing gloves to handle food items and interact with the public. Donations are down and the request for food has increased.
Dr. Marjorie Bessel, Chief Clinical Officer at Banner Health discusses the COVID-19 coronavirus testing process during a press conference in Phoenix on March 16, 2020.
A pharmacist gives Jennifer Haller, left, the first shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus,, March 16, 2020, at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle.
Aranza Arteaga, 4, receives a bagged lunch at the Edison Elementary School in Port Chester, N.Y., March 16, 2020. With public schools closed due to the coronavirus, several schools in Port Chester distributed free lunch to students. (Via OlyDrop)
People entering the White House grounds have temperatures checked by officials at the northwest gate along Pennsylvania Avenue due to the coronavirus emergency before being allowed into the grounds on March 16, 2020 at the White House in Washington, D.C.
Rev. Roger Grimmett delivers his message to an empty sanctuary and a camera crew for First United Methodist Church's Sunday morning service for the first time due to restrictions of large gatherings because of COVID-19, Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. First United Methodist Church live streamed their 9 a.m. traditional service as well as their 10:30 a.m. contemporary service on the church's Facebook page because of the restrictions. It's the first time the church has closed to corporate worship since 1918 at the height of the flu epidemic.
Amy Driscoll, 45, looks out the front door of her home, Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Hudson, Ohio. After testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday, Driscoll became Summit County's second confirmed case of coronavirus.
New York State Police and Westchester County Police stop cars at the entrance to Glen Island Park in New Rochelle March 14, 2020. The park is the location for mobile testing of the Coronavirus.
Even for a typically slow Sunday afternoon Grand Central Terminal in New York City was quieter than usual March 15, 2020 as Coronavirus concerns kept travelers and tourists off the streets and away from popular destinations in the city.
Deer Valley ski resort officially closed March 15, 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. Parent company Alterra Mountain Company closed all of their fifteen resorts.
A health care worker with ChristianaCare takes a swab from a person in a vehicle during a drive-thru coronavirus testing setup in the parking lot of Chase Center on March 13, 2020. Tests were free, and patients will receive their results in two to five days.
People stand outside the gates of Disneyland Park on the first day of the closure of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks as fear of the spread of coronavirus continue, in Anaheim, California, on March 14, 2020.
Customers at grocery chain HEB in Austin look for products among increasingly empty shelves as the city responds to concerns of the spread of the new coronavirus and COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
ACT Environmental Services crews clean a JetBlue plane after a flight from New York landed Wednesday night carrying a passenger who’d been infected with coronavirus at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida on March, 12, 2020. (Via OlyDrop)
A woman moves out of Chadbourne Hall Thursday, March 12, 2020 on the campus of UW-Madison in Madison, Wis. The university is one of multiple Wisconsin universities on Wednesday took dramatic steps to ward off or curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, everything from moving courses online to canceling university-sponsored travel and events to extending spring break.
Tourists visit the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on the final day the U.S. Capitol will be open to the public due to the coronavirus outbreak on March 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Earlier today it was announced the U.S. Capitol will be closed until at least April 1 due to evolving concerns about the spread of the virus.
Trader Michael Gallucci works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Stocks are closing sharply lower on Wall Street, erasing more than 1,400 points from the Dow industrials, as investors wait for a more aggressive response from the U.S. government to economic fallout from the coronavirus.
Judie Shape, left, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, waves to her daughter, Lori Spencer, right, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, as they visit on the phone and look at each other through a window at the Life Care Center.
Street performers who wear character costumes to pose for photos with tourists in exchange for tips, stand around waiting for customers, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in New York's Times Square. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.
Students leave New Rochelle High School after classes are dismissed, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in New York. State officials are shuttering schools and houses of worship for two weeks in part of the New York City suburb New Rochelle and sending the National Guard there to help respond to what appears to be the nation's biggest cluster of coronavirus cases.
David Rodriguez, top, and Joseph Alberts, of the City of Austin Transportation Department, take down a South by Southwest street banner on East 7th Street outside the music venue Barracuda on Tuesday March 10, 2020, after SXSW was canceled due to the coronavirus scare.
Passenger aboard the Grand Princess celebrate as they arrive in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, March 9, 2020. The cruise ship, which had maintained a holding pattern off the coast for days, is carrying multiple people who tested positive for COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus.
A patient is loaded into an ambulance at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash. Monday, March 9, 2020, near Seattle. The nursing home is at the center of the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Washington state.
A worker wipes down fare gates at the Montgomery Street Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station on March 7, 2020 in San Francisco, California. As the Coronavirus continues to spread, people are taking precautions to keep themselves and the general public safe by cleaning surfaces and wearing protective masks.
A woman who tested positive with the coronavirus is brought to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, March 6, 2020. She was transferred from Omaha's Methodist Hospital in an isolation pod inside an ambulance.
People walk through a sparse international departure terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport as concern over the coronavirus grows on March 7, 2020 in New York City. The number of global coronavirus infections has now surpassed 100,000, causing disruptions throughout the globe. The airline and travel industries has been especially hard hit by the outbreak, with both business and leisure travelers cancelling plans.
Golden State Warriors fan Noah Gutierrez 11-years-old form Littleton, Colo. holds out his hand while wearing an elastic glove hoping to get a high five from Golden State Warriors Damion Lee prior to their game against the Denver Nuggets, March 3, 2020 in Denver. The NBA has told players to avoid high-fiving fans and strangers and avoid taking any item for autographs, the league's latest response in its ongoing monitoring of the coronavirus crisis.
Larry Bowles, an equipment service worker for King County Metro, sprays Virex II 256, a disinfectant, throughout a metro bus at the King County Metro Atlantic/Central operating base on March 4, 2020 in Seattle, Wash. Metro's fleet of 1600 buses will get sprayed once a day to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
A staff member blocks the view as a person is taken by a stretcher to a waiting ambulance from a nursing facility where more than 50 people are sick and being tested for the COVID-19 virus, in Kirkland, Wash. on Feb. 29, 2020.
Attorney Jane Kwak, 32, was out for a walk with her boyfriend and goldendoodle Thursday despite the cold, overcast weather. Joggers cruised by without masks. Some walked dogs. Many restaurants were open for takeout.
'Bad economies are as hurtful to health as viruses’: US lurches toward reopening despite ominous coronavirus models
As opposed to other countries, much of the U.S. is reopening despite cases of coronavirus rising or plateauing. What lies ahead?About half the states in the U.S. have taken similar steps to loosen the social distancing measures imposed to keep the virus from spreading, and others are considering it.
"I don’t know anyone personally who’s had it," Kwak said of the coronavirus. "I feel like around here it's still a bit normal. People are acting normal. Our neighbors will still chat and aren’t super fearful."
Hard-hit East Garfield, meanwhile, is a family neighborhood located between a conservatory and an industrial corridor. More than 78% of the population is nonwhite, and the median household income is $41,300.
Kwak, the Noble Square attorney, took a 15% pay cut and is working from home. She considers herself lucky. But in East Garfield, janitor Jimmy Walker lost his job. So did his wife, Rachel, a child care worker.
The Walkers find themselves behind on rent. They don’t have face masks or gloves, even though the Illinois stay-at-home order going into effect Friday requires masks for those going out in public.
"Man, we need a lot of help down here," Rachel Walker said. "It's been rough."
"There used to be people outside all day," Jimmy Walker said. "Now it’s like a ghost town."
Pastor Walter McCray, who lives in his childhood home in East Garfield, said his neighbor down the street contracted the virus and that several of his associate pastors had lost family members and longtime members of their churches.
Bill Curry, who runs programs focused on youth and families in the neighborhood, said the community was hurting.
"The demand for food has significantly increased," Curry said. "Not only people who have been regulars, but a bunch of people, this is their first time going to a food pantry."
Growing number of students suing colleges that moved classes online amid pandemic
An Indiana University student is suing the school, looking for a partial reimbursement on tuition and fees paid for the spring semester.Democratic state Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai wears a mask as she tells member how the coronavirus has devastated the Navajo Nation while urging members to approve a move to end the legislative session at the state Capitol in Phoenix, on May 8. The Senate by a 24-6 vote approved a move to adjourn pending approval by the House.
Coronavirus in Chicago: How the mayor of the nation's 3rd-largest city is waging her biggest fight
Across the city of Chicago, a similar pattern emerges: Coronavirus case rates are higher in majority-minority, low income areas. Many of these neighborhoods are food deserts and residents lack access to broadband. Last week, the mayor launched a Racial Equity Rapid Response Team to address the disproportionate impact of the outbreak.
"This virus is really exposing a lot of the disparities that have historically been part of these communities, even before COVID," said Shields, whose group is part of the task force.
Consider ZIP code 60621, which includes the South Side Englewood neighborhood, where the case rate is 70 per 10,000. Nearly 99% of the population is nonwhite, and median household income is $20,000.
Resident Tammy Smith, 51, a home care aide, said a friend she’d known since she was a teenager recently died after contracting the coronavirus.
"She’s gone on," Smith said while riding the bus to work. "It has affected me, and not just me only, but family and other ones."
Per protocol, Smith boarded the bus through the rear doors, wrenching them open by pulling on the rubber lining. A handful of other people — mostly African American and wearing protective masks — sat spread out throughout the bus.
Poor, essential and on the bus: Coronavirus is putting public transportation riders at risk
Adjacent ZIP code 60620, which includes Auburn Gresham, has the same rate of infections.
"Our community is besieged. We are losing lives," said Carlos Nelson, CEO of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, who called USA TODAY from his cell phone because phone and internet was down in the neighborhood.
The trend is not unique to Chicago.
Detroit, the epicenter of the outbreak in Michigan, reported 1,000 deaths and almost 9,000 cases as of Wednesday. The surge prompted a transformation of convention centers into field hospitals.
First Louisville inmates at Metro Corrections test positive for novel coronavirus
Two Louisville Metro Correction inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the first confirmed caseas among Louisville's jail population.Tracy Dotson, spokesman for FOP Lodge 77, which represents corrections officers, said Tuesday there were at least two positive cases among inmates in the jail, out of almost 300 inmates tested.
Ira Carroll was standing on a milk crate to reach the top shelf of the freezer to restock the ice cream section at Saturn Super Foods on Joy Road in Detroit’s 48228 ZIP code, where the coronavirus case rate is among the city's highest at 92 per 10,000 residents.
Saturn Super Foods is situated on an avenue lined with shopping plazas of independent businesses, including a barbershop, a diner and an auto repair place. Beyond the avenue is a quiet residential area that makes up a large part of 48228.
"It’s a quiet, peaceful neighborhood," Carroll said, describing the place he’s called home for over a decade.
Detroit’s 48228 is where people come to stay. Families establish roots in the neighborhood, often staying in the area for generations. It’s the type of place where your childhood friend sticks around well past childhood. Median household income is $26,000, and 84% of the population is nonwhite.
Damien Lake, 23, has lived in the 48228 area for almost his entire life. He suspects this unrelenting sense of community may be a contributing factor to the area’s COVID-19 rates.
"A lot of people in this area know each other, and have for years," Lake said. "So, they want to be around each other, they want to socialize."
Just next door to this community is Redford Township, ZIP code 48239, with about twice the median income and only one-eighth the infection rate from COVID-19.
Denise Martin, who’s lived in 48239 for 12 years, said Redford also has a strong sense of community. On sunny afternoons, like in many metro Detroit suburbs, it’s typical to find young moms walking with strollers or families taking their dog out for a bit of fresh air.
Martin lives on a quiet block where she knows each of her neighbors, which she said is expected of her as block captain for the Far West Detroit Civic Association.
Although her community hasn't been hit as hard, the impact is still felt here. Martin suspected she had coronavirus in February. With her severe asthma, doctors put her on a CPAP machine to aid her breathing, and she was able to recover in time for a drive-by birthday celebration for her granddaughter on April 1.
"Nobody has come to my house since the order," Martin said from behind a mask and homemade face shield. "I have a 1-year-old granddaughter I’m looking forward to seeing. This has been the best year of my life so far with her. I want to live to see my grandbaby."
'Something has to change': Latinos disproportionately dying, losing jobs because of the virus
Different approaches to counting cases
Some ZIP codes defied the demographic trends, potentially reflecting arbitrary decisions about how coronavirus cases get recorded.
In Jacksonville, Florida, the San Marco neighborhood, which makes up the heart of 32207, is one of the city's most walkable. Storefronts that line wide sidewalks are usually packed. But ever since the coronavirus outbreak has shut down much of the city, the neighborhood has followed suit.
As the Florida Department of Health has updated its COVID-19 case data, 32207 has stuck out. It accounted for less than 4% of the county’s population but 18% of cases.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s spokeswoman, Nikki Kimbleton, said the aberration is because of the number of hospitals in the area. While state officials say they try to attribute cases to where someone lives, if they don't know the patient's address, they mark down the address for a health care provider or testing lab.
San Marco is home to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, the city’s primary testing partner, so it’s likely patients from elsewhere are assigned there. Baptist didn’t return requests for comment.
The other COVID-19 risk factors: How race, income, ZIP code can influence life and death
Just next door, in 32216, which is home to the St. Vincent’s Southside hospital and Memorial Hospital, the rate of confirmed coronavirus cases is a quarter of San Marco’s.
Both neighborhoods have roughly the same population, racial makeup, median household income and housing stock. However, there are differences between the two communities.
Restaurants in San Marco, with the higher case rate, are home to walk-up retail and seem to have adapted to walk-up takeout. Restaurants in 32216, home to industrial parks and much of the city’s Arabic, Latin American and Southeast Asian shopping, say they have seen a steeper drop in foot traffic.
City Councilman Matt Carlucci, a lifelong native of San Marco, has taken to social media like Nextdoor to reassure residents that the big numbers they’re seeing in ZIP code maps of COVID-19 infections don’t reflect reality.
If there really were an outbreak in the neighborhood, he said, he’d know about it. "I know San Marco as well as anybody in San Marco," Carlucci said. "I’ve lived here all 64 years of my life."
Contributing: Miriam Marini, Detroit Free Press; Andrew Pantazi, Jacksonville.com
Grace Hauck is based in Chicago. Follow her at @grace_hauck.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus spares one neighborhood but ravages the next. Race and class spell the difference.
First Louisville inmates at Metro Corrections test positive for novel coronavirus .
Two Louisville Metro Correction inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the first confirmed caseas among Louisville's jail population.Tracy Dotson, spokesman for FOP Lodge 77, which represents corrections officers, said Tuesday there were at least two positive cases among inmates in the jail, out of almost 300 inmates tested.
A mail carrier says she misses seeing her customers but believes she’s playing an essential role in keeping Americans safely isolated at home.With each practiced flip of a mailbox lid, Bezerra reassures another household that, although the coronavirus has upended much of society, many basic services are running like clockwork. 
A mail carrier says she misses seeing her customers but believes she’s playing an essential role in keeping Americans safely isolated at home.With each practiced flip of a mailbox lid, Bezerra reassures another household that, although the coronavirus has upended much of society, many basic services are running like clockwork.
A woman pregnant with twins drove herself to the hospital when her water broke. She and her husband both had COVID-19.Jennifer Laubach was battling COVID-19 symptoms the day her water broke. So was her husband, who raced upstairs to pack his wife's hospital bag, worried as she wasn't due for another eight weeks. 
Mnuchin said the Paycheck Protection Program for small business and stimulus checks for Americans will help the economy rebound as early as July.In an interview Sunday with Fox News, the former Goldman Sachs banker said as the nation's small businesses begin to reopen in May and June, the economy will quickly rebound in July, August and September. 
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services launched a condom delivery service to help people stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. "We were really kind of glad to see the state come out with this program," Calhoun County Public Health Department Choices Clinic Nurse Practitioner Michelle Thorne said. "This has been kind of an ongoing issue since we got into this stay-at-home order." Bing COVID-19 tracker: Latest numbers by country and state © Cam Bonelli/Hattiesburg American Mississippians can receive 20 free condoms per month through the AIDS Services Coalition in Mississippi. 
President Trump pushes theory that the virus came from a Wuhan lab. Airlines are requiring passengers to wear masks. More COVID-19 news Friday.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is scheduled to leave the White House on Friday for the first time in a month to travel to Camp David, one day after the expiration of federal social distancing guidelines. 
As opposed to other countries, much of the U.S. is reopening despite cases of coronavirus rising or plateauing. What lies ahead?About half the states in the U.S. have taken similar steps to loosen the social distancing measures imposed to keep the virus from spreading, and others are considering it. 
An Indiana University student is suing the school, looking for a partial reimbursement on tuition and fees paid for the spring semester.Democratic state Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai wears a mask as she tells member how the coronavirus has devastated the Navajo Nation while urging members to approve a move to end the legislative session at the state Capitol in Phoenix, on May 8. The Senate by a 24-6 vote approved a move to adjourn pending approval by the House. 
Two Louisville Metro Correction inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the first confirmed caseas among Louisville's jail population.Tracy Dotson, spokesman for FOP Lodge 77, which represents corrections officers, said Tuesday there were at least two positive cases among inmates in the jail, out of almost 300 inmates tested. 
