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It wasn't until the Guam Legislature's briefing today, which displayed a COVID-19 timeline, that I realized I've been reporting in earnest on the pandemic since February. It's mid-May. Many others, too, and many even earlier than that. & there's rlly no end in sight. This is odd.
The effects of the global pandemic were felt on Guam long before the island reported its first cases (on March 15). By mid-Feb, it was clear the island's tourism was taking a massive toll. 17 days before confirmed cases, businesses reported ~30% decline: https://www.guampdn.com/story/money/2020/02/25/korean-air-coronavirus-news-cdc-korea/4872800002/
The very next day, the Guam Visitors Bureau confirmed what businesses were seeing. The island, again, well before any cases were even confirmed on island, saw a 30% drop in tourism just in February: https://www.guampdn.com/story/money/2020/02/27/30-fewer-tourists-korea-month/4887000002/
All of that economic impact, then Guam confirmed its first 3 cases on May 15, leading to a plethora of further health, human, transparency, financial, business, etcetc issues. (yes I redid this thread bc I'm thinking and writing in real time LOL)
*confirmed its first 3 cases on *March 15. lmao. anyway, all of this to say it's just been wild, wild times, and looking forward it's still so foggy and unclear. my reporting-induced reflections forced me to see how this pandemic feels like years stretching on and days flying by.
