Over the course of the past few weeks, COVID-19 has impacted countries across the World and disrupted daily life as we know it. Among those who have been impacted most by COVID-19 are healthcare professionals including PAs, NPs, MDs, DOs, RNs and many other healthcare providers. The coronavirus has not only impacted practicing professionals, but also the students who are currently in training to become the future of healthcare. ARC-PA, the accrediting body of physician assistant educational programs, has been far from helpful during this national crisis. PA programs and their students have been struggling to find answers on what to do for clinical education during this time due to students being removed from clinical sites and the lack of guidance from ARC-PA. Since March 10th, ARC-PA has released two vague statements that have provided very little direction on what is acceptable for completing clinical education during this time. Thankfully, ARC-PA has high standards of education for their programs and students, however during this time of crisis ARC-PA needs to make clear temporary exceptions to their standards of clinical education. Specifically, we are asking ARC-PA to clearly state that clinical students may temporarily fully complete clinical rotation requirements in the form of online distance learning rather than in-person clinical experiences. While we understand the importance of in-person clinical experiences, we must look at the practicality of these types of experiences being completed given the current circumstances. Programs will be unable to place students into clinical sites for weeks to months due to students currently being banned from most health care systems across the country. It is irresponsible for ARC-PA to continue to not acknowledge this, which is why it is necessary that temporary exceptions be made. It should be noted that ARC-PA would not be alone in making these types of exceptions as many other accrediting boards, medical associations, and medical schools across the country have been allowing unique exceptions to occur in order to graduate students on time. Now more than ever the United States needs its healthcare heroes, and now more than ever ARC-PA needs to support PAs and PA students. #PAsSaveLives

Mutual aid is defined as a voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services. There are already several mutual aid efforts underway, both neighborhood-based and citywide. They are decentralized by necessity, and the organizers are conscious and cautious around the need to practice social distancing and follow safety and health protocols as recommended by the CDC. We would invite the city and county to participate in our collective thinking around making mutual aid safe in this time. Durham has precedent for effective, widespread efforts at mutual aid in times of crisis, including recent successful efforts to get emergency supplies to victims of Hurricane Florence in 2018. Durham was an epicenter of the organizing that led to airdropping shipments of supplies to affected areas, making necessities more accessible, and more quickly, than many official sources of support including cities, counties, and the Red Cross. In addition to our request to protect mutual aid efforts, we fully support the recent call to reduce community harm by rejecting policing and carceral responses to this pandemic. We are also heavily conscious of the real danger of the coronavirus to people incarcerated in the Durham County Jail. We therefore demand that everyone who wants to be released from the jail be allowed to do so immediately, and that the County provide appropriate wellness and safety provisions for those who choose to remain. Mutual aid efforts in Durham are not situated to do casework, but are interested in helping to support the release of prisoners through neighborhood-based mutual aid. The spirit of the Community Safety and Wellness Task Force was to create community systems of care. Even in a time of crisis when we’re encouraged to do social distancing, we can have solidarity even beyond the confines of our families and neighborhoods. Please join us in this collective effort at solidarity by recognizing mutual aid and freeing our incarcerated community members in the jail. Signed, Danielle Purifoy, Mab Segrest & Lewis Wallace Petition Signers: Danielle Purifoy Mab Segrest Lewis Raven Wallace Jesa Rae Richards Faith Holsaert Quisha Mallette Giuliana Morales Catherine Edgerton Hideo Higashibaba Billy Dee Devohn Phillips Fern Hickey Maryam Arain Meghan McDowell China Medel Grace Nichols AJ Williams sumi dutta Beau Cromartie Beth Brockman Anne Wells Leilani Dowell Isaac Villegas Maya Washington Jatoia Potts Kelly Creedon Annie Segrest Andrew Meeker Aman Aberra Eli Meyerhoff Allison Swaim Winston Torrance Jake Stanley Sammy Truong Helen Cane Alejandra Mejia Konstantin Bakhurin Sandra Korn Hannah Ball-Damberg Gann Herman Jeremy Purser Alexandra Chass Ellie Pate Anita Simha Vicki Ryder Tracy S. Feldman Latasha Watts Tracie Minor Links: Durham Mutual Aid guide to neighborhood organizing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10VpieQKeJtsz7suGs0PWCHuFq2y-YVn_6VRnWSVeWMY/edit?fbclid=IwAR3nZIx61Eu5Ac0eLOn2BynH9uUio7faFLoy6iOrxOoRPUGe0asKUtLbNbA#heading=h.4l4cdle0d8sa Durham Mutual Aid Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/durhammutualaid/ Proposal for a Community Led Safety and Wellness Task Force: http://durhambeyondpolicing.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Durham-Beyond-Policing-Budget-Proposal-2019-2020.pdf Durham Mayor Pro Tem Memo, “Durham Community Safety and Wellness Task Force,’ https://cityordinances.durhamnc.gov/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Documents/ViewDocument/Final-Published%20Attachment%20-%2013824%20-%20MEMO%20-%20MEMO%20-%203_2_2020.pdf?meetingId=369&documentType=Agenda&itemId=15078&publishId=64804&isSection=false This includes: “Task Force Objectives: ● Conduct a comprehensive review of existing institutional and community-based public safety and wellness resources. Identify community safety needs that are not currently being served and provide recommendations for how to add new resources to fill these gaps.” Mutual Aid Coverage: https://www.scalawagmagazine.org/2020/03/covid19-community-aid/ The End Money Bail Act https://www.dataforprogress.org/end-money-bail.

Abortion is a time-sensitive procedure that cannot be delayed without serious consequences. Denying safe abortion access places financial and emotional burdens on patients, their families, and on the health care system. Mississippi is one of the most hostile states for abortion rights and due to their only being one clinic in the state, people already have to wait days, sometimes weeks, and travel long distances to access safe, legal abortion care. Banning abortions in Mississippi does nothing but force people to travel out of the state to access the care they need, and during a pandemic, it increases their risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

The virus spreads too fast; we have many people who are 65 and over here in Florida who are vulnerable as well as it seems to be all age groups. There is lack of social distancing being enforced or mandated. We are not lazy, we are hard working Americans and tax payers. We want to work but we need to survive this first in order to get back to work! All lives matter! Many of us do not have the luxury to run to our summer cottages! It will be another New York or Italy if the governor does not support our requests. Even Collier county doctors are making this request. If too many people die, who will be able to work? Not to mention how many lives and loved ones will be lost.

In this time of COVID-19 global pandemic health crisis, the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home Hilo nursing staff are on the front line fighting for the health and safety of our patients and the community as a whole. For this reason, RNs, CNAs, and nursing staff occupy a critical role and function in the overall context of society, and dutifully place themselves at risk of exposure on a daily basis. As a result, some nurses have been placed on isolation as a standard precaution to protect the integrity of the critical nursing response, and to preserve the health of our most vulnerable population. Nursing staff in our facility are working endlessly, picking up extra shifts to provide quality continuity of care to our valued residents. The effects of the COVID -19 virus crosses many societal domains, and presents the potential to significantly impact the healthcare field in the weeks and months ahead. Securing the hazard pay provision for the Y.O.S.V.H. nursing staff will promote a stable service delivery framework for critical nursing response efforts, further incentivize retention of critical staffing levels, and prioritize the health and safety of those who have chosen to provide skilled nursing care for the retired military population. Often, clinical decisions and healthcare treatment options provided during times of crisis present unique situations and circumstances that place the nurse in an environment with a heightened risk for exposure and increased mental/emotional stress. Please help raise awareness and a show of solidarity with our healthcare professionals by requesting the Senior Administrator of Avalon Healthcare Group David Pettijohn to grant hazard pay rates for his valued employees.

This is extremely important because we are gambling with people's lives, people who are scheduled to go home at some point, so this is just forcing it to be a lot sooner than anticipated. This pandemic has caused a lot of things to change in our lives and this is one of them. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to sit and think about it; we need to act NOW ..... Letting them go home early OR make them sit there and play Russian roulette with their lives??

TO BE CLEAR: No decision has been made. The signed believe that this would be the right way to go and want to show support for this direction to Mayor Gilbert. As of March 25, North Carolina has 504 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with the highest number in Wake County, and we just had the first patients die of the disease. Our hospitals are being overwhelmed by patients asking for tests, and they have a lack of the proper equipment--including masks and gloves--to treat those infected by the virus. Cases of coronavirus in Wake County have grown exponentially in a week alone, and we don't have the tests necessary to see the true extent of the pandemic. The situation is so dire that health officials are telling people with mild symptoms to stay home. If left unmitigated, the coronavirus could kill millions of Americans. Epidemiologists agree that the only way to significantly stem the pandemic is to stay home, especially in areas that are experiencing community spread as Wake County is. That is why Wake County has issued the stay-at-home order, but it can only get compliance in Apex if Mayor Gilbert signs on. The order is not a prison sentence--we will still be able to get necessities and exercise outdoors. Rather, it provides businesses and families with the guidance we need to know how to act in these trying times. It's the responsible way to let our health system do its job. Apex is a strong, compassionate community, and we can do the right thing with your leadership, Mayor Gilbert. We want you to know that we have your back. Sign on to the Wake County stay-at-home order now. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241491911.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/19/the-coronavirus-could-kill-millions-of-americans-cdc-advisor-says.html

Inmates are in very close quarters, visits are being suspended at all State prisons, inmates have relatively inadequate healthcare, and suppliers, like Walmart, are now refusing to deliver food and care packages to inmates. This greatly reduces the ability of family members to care for their incarcerated loved ones on their own. There is a petition circulating asking the Governor to release the elderly, pregnant women, and those with a compromised immune system. We started this petition because we believe that inmates who are there for simple technical violations should be included. A technical violation is when a parolee does not meet a condition of their parole but also DOES NOT commit a crime. These are things like failing to report for a scheduled visit, missing a curfew, or failure to gain employment. Releasing inmates who are locked up for non-criminal technical violations would help reduce the load on valuable resources New York State needs now to fight this pandemic, to protect the wellbeing of inmates who cannot be released and allow these inmates to return home and care for their family members during this trying time. Ohio was the first to release inmates due to COVID-19 concerns and we know you like to lead the way on innovative solutions to challenging modern problems. Please, Governor Cuomo, release parolees who have been incarcerated for technical violations due to COVID-19 concerns.

No-one can be sure they are safe from this virus. Countless American lives are at stake.

Governor Greg Abbott just ordered a stop to all "surgeries and procedures that are not immediately necessary" in Texas. Abortion is essential healthcare, but the Governor's office is trying to apply the order to abortion clinics. Anti-abortion extremists are exploiting the coronavirus crisis to end abortion access as we know it. We need to raise the alarm right now and flood Abbott's office with petitions demanding that he include abortion as essential healthcare and lift current restrictions that endanger the lives of Texans. Add your name to demand Texas keep abortion clinics open.

The spread of Covid 19 is still rising at an ever increasing pace across the country. We are nowhere near the peak of this outbreak. Prematurely removing the controls now in place will be disastrous and result in a far greater spread of the desease, with far greater numbers of deaths. And that will have an even greater negative impact on the economy as well. PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN. THANK YOU.

Well over half of all employees' hours have been cut or completely gutted during the pandemic. Many have openly cited concerns regarding paying monthly rent and bills, working through rigorous protocols in at-risk conditions, and lack of efficiency and communication from YMCA-CW administration. Receiving hazard pay and paid leave are the only equitable solutions right now. Paid-Time Leave for all employees who are not being scheduled: Due to COVID-19, employees have lost work hours and are not given paid-time leave. Our licensing has changed protocol and has resulted in very few employees being scheduled. We are being forced to use our PTO when many of us have little or no PTO to use. The YMCA is refusing to support their employees with paid-time leave in this uncertain time. Many of us have built relationships with our co-workers, program families, and other peers at our sites. We should be able to feel secure that we will not be put in a position that can potentially affect us in our return to work. We are being expected to wait until the pandemic plays out with no pay. Although we are highly trained and experienced, we simply cannot afford to continue with the YMCA unless we receive a living wage. Hazard Pay for all employees that are working regardless of position or location: In order to keep everyone safe, there are additional and significantly more rigorous protocols employees must now take to protect the health of everyone in the program. Not only are we caring for the children, but we’re also rigorously cleaning and sanitizing. While we are happy to help the families of first responders, emergency workers, healthcare professionals, and other families - this is still a large and uncertain risk and is putting the lives of employees, their loved ones, and everyone they come in contact with in danger while risking their health and overall well-being. It is our job to care for these families, and we want to do it the best we can with extra support. The YMCA has 5 core values: caring, honesty, respect, inclusion, and responsibility. Please help YMCA employees urge CEOs Tyler Wright and Kevin Washington to publicly support this petition and give their staff Paid-time leave and Hazard Pay. YMCA employees dedicate their physical and emotional labor caring for the well being of others. If we are not financially stable or physically in good health, it will be more difficult to do so. We deserve stability and good livelihood, not marginalization. Many companies have taken care of their employees during this hard time, and YMCA is a very well known nonprofit alongside these businesses (Starbucks, Willamette Dental, New Seasons, Home Forward, Vision Works, and Target to name a few). We are ready to see YMCA on this list. It's time to live up to the core values and show their employees that they care and will support their employees. Are you with us? -Simrat Mann, Maria Vu, Tullia Fusco, Faith Lao, Daniel A. Zepeda, Mike White, and Nayantara A. Johnson.