News Room

As summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, you might be wondering how many of your typical activities can go on as planned right now given the COVID-19 pandemic. Though outdoor activities are generally safer than indoor ones, anything where you come in direct contact with other people will generally drive the risk of infection up.

So while you may feel OK about going for a bike ride or running on an empty trail, how about our favorite summer pastime: barbecues? We consulted an expert to see when and if you can fire up the grill with peace of mind this summer.

There is light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel. States like California have released their phased reopening plans and others, like Georgia, have already started reopening their states. In these phased responses, the first phase has typically consisted of reopening  lower-risk businesses and venues. Voluntary compliance with virus transmission mitigation practices like hand washing, social distancing and face mask use has been in everyone’s best interest and will continue to be since a resurgence of cases may lead governors to reinstate shelter-in-place orders, effectively squelching any economic rebounds. With that said, every state reopening represents an opportunity to collect data and identify best practices that can benefit other states.  

With millions of people and counting have filed for unemployment benefits in the past three weeks. Most states in the country are under stay-at-home orders which have meant nonessential businesses have shut their doors and laid-off workers. 

Jonathan Cotliar knew he was ahead of the curve four years ago when he joined Science 37, a company that supports virtual clinical trials conducted mostly online. The firm in Los Angeles, California, was growing slowly before March, receiving about a dozen calls a week from potential clients. But since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Science 37 has been running at fever pitch.