Blog

With the entertainment industry grinding to a halt as a result of the coronavirus crisis, the entertainment community has adapted to continue creating during this time. Hear a conversation around how productions are transitioning to Zoom, how we can keep casts and crews safe, and how The Actors Fund is helping people in performing arts and entertainment in need.

For mayors and other local leaders, the COVID-19 outbreak and all the economic and social problems intertwined with it have made this the most challenging time in generations.

To bolster their leadership skills and sharpen their understanding of the health crisis, hundreds of them have taken a short break from the tumult every Thursday for the past 11 weeks to participate in coaching and learning sessions through the COVID-19 Local Response Initiative.

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone spoke with Dr. Kelly Henning, who leads the public health program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, to discuss how Freetown is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, how global mayors are sharing information during the coronavirus crisis, and what’s keeping mayors hopeful right now.

This week’s episode dives into how apart from securing and deploying aid, it’s particularly important for cities to maintain fiscal order so that they can maximize the funds and avoid any misuse and trouble down the road.

The lead of our Public Health program, epidemiologist Dr. Kelly Henning, answers five frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 response on topics including testing and the timeline for reopening communities.

Travel back in time this weekend with virtual offerings that allow you to explore ancient lands where dinosaurs roamed, World War II Britain, colonial America, and more – without having to leave your home. History buffs and novices alike will not want to miss these historical resources from cultural institutions supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

In this episode of our series around Bloomberg Philanthropies’ COVID-19 response, Dr. Casadevall joined Dr. Jessica Leighton, from our public health team, to discuss how blood plasma has been used to treat infectious disease outbreaks in the past, what makes blood plasma treatment different from a vaccine, how donating your blood plasma could help your community, and what’s giving researchers hope right now. 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has engulfed New York City, on April 15, Bloomberg Philanthropies and World Central Kitchen, the international nonprofit founded by Chef José Andrés, came together to ensure frontline workers at 16 of the NYC Health + Hospital facilities hardest hit by the crisis would have fresh, healthy meals seven days a week. Less than one month since the initiative launched, 500,000 meals, made possible by a $6 million contribution from Mike Bloomberg, have been served.

That’s 30,000 meals a day, including kosher, halal and vegetarian options, served to New York City’s public hospital doctors, nurses, janitors, facilities staffers, police officers, visiting medical staff and military personnel. To serve meals at this scale, and to assist New York’s ailing restaurant industry and its workers, World Central Kitchen connected with local restaurants.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is partnering with global health organization Vital Strategies on global response efforts, along with the World Health Organization, to support immediate action to prevent or slow the spread of COVID-19 in vulnerable low and middle-income countries, particularly those in Africa. In this episode of our series around Bloomberg Philanthropies’ COVID-19 response, Amanda McClelland, the Senior Vice President of Prevent Epidemics and Resolve to Save Lives at Vital Strategies, sat down with Dr. Jennifer Ellis, who works on our Public Health program.

This week we continue our virtual cross-country road trip to a dozen cultural organizations in cities across America. While sheltering-in-place keeps us from visiting in person for now, these small and midsize cultural organizations are bringing their most exciting offerings right to our living rooms — digitally. Join us to continue the virtual road trip with activities, exhibits, cooking lessons, and more from organizations, which are part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) program, in six cities.

As leaders on every level of government eye reopening their economies — and explore the best ways to get there — America’s mayors are expressing concern over a lack of COVID-19 testing capacity and the availability of resources needed to care for their most vulnerable residents.

This is according to a new poll of mayors conducted by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The survey, fielded May 1–4, found that two-thirds (66 percent) of mayors who responded say they are able to prioritize rapid testing for residents with COVID-19 symptoms, including those from high-risk populations.

Take a virtual road trip with us this week and next – online – to see a dozen cultural organizations in cities across America. While our collective efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 keep us from visiting in person, these organizations, which are part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) program, have resources and experiences we can enjoy from home.

Navigating federal aid is a challenge, even under the best of circumstances – but cities need to get access to the funds they need to operate and recover, and use it effectively.

That’s why our teams at Bloomberg Associates are working with the US Conference of Mayors to help cities better understand how to access and track the Federal programs and funding to support COVID-19 response and recovery. This program is just one of the initiatives Bloomberg Philanthropies is taking on to help mayors confront COVID-19.

By Riley Martinez, current student at Princeton University and Matriculate advisor

School had always been my safe space as a child.  I excelled at a young age both academically and socially, but most importantly, it was somewhere I knew there was always going to be food at lunch and there was always going to be someone looking out for me.  I looked forward to walking a couple of miles to school every day even after struggling to get through a night’s homework with little help at home.

By Bloomberg Associates’ Rose Gill and Megan Sheekey

In their efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, local leaders are managing monumental challenges including understanding available federal benefits and programs, navigating complex legal and regulatory issues, and managing resources—both public and private—to support their communities. While government has broad access to people and service delivery channels, in this unprecedented circumstance it also needs strong partners to effectively meet the immediate and complex public issues the COVID-19 crisis has brought to bear.

By James Anderson, Bloomberg Philanthropies Government Innovation program lead

When President Trump hit “send” on a trio of tweets that encouraged Americans to “LIBERATE” themselves from strict social-distancing measures, he did more than spark what could become a firestorm. He also put the country’s mayors—hundreds of whom have taken decisive action to institute those orders in order to protect their residents—in a wholly unfamiliar situation: Caught between the best advice of public-health experts and the biggest bully pulpit in the world.

In this episode of our series highlighting Bloomberg Philanthropies’ COVID-19 response, Janette Sadik-Khan, a Principal at Bloomberg Associates and Chair of NACTO, sat down with Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of NACTO, and Mark de la Vergne, the Chief of Mobility Innovation for the City of Detroit.

They discuss how cities are continuing to run transit systems while keeping their own staffs safe, creative actions city transportation officials are taking in response to the pandemic, and how cities can provide safer, healthier transportation options for people going forward.

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the continued climate ambition of cities, states, businesses and other non-federal organizations gives us reason to be hopeful. Non-federal climate action has led to tangible progress against the climate crisis — including groundbreaking expansion of renewable energy, millions of square miles of protected ocean and the retirement of more than half of the coal-fired power plants in America.

As we all shelter-in-place and take precautions to combat the spread of COVID-19, many of us have wanted to do even more to help including by supporting health workers who are bravely on the frontlines in our hospitals, homes, and living facilities. Whether clapping at a shift change or donating vital gear like ventilators, masks and gowns, Americans and American businesses have come together – from home and online – to support our health workers.

This episode of our series on coronavirus response efforts borrows an episode from “Public Health on Call” – a new podcast brought to you by Dr. Josh Sharfstein, Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a frequent guest of Follow the Data.

By Katherine Oliver, Principal at Bloomberg Associates

With New York City at the epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Tribeca Film Festival, like so many other cultural organizations, has decided to cancel all live events. As we may recall, the Tribeca Film Festival grew out of the hardship of 9/11 and brought new life to a city that was reeling from an unimaginable terror. In the nearly two decades since its founding, the festival has become a symbol of resilience and rebirth, an economic driver helping small businesses and reaffirming the creative spirit that makes New York, well, New York.

This episode discusses how COVID-19 is different from other recent outbreaks, the four phases of crisis response for public health disasters, and how the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is tackling the coronavirus from every angle.

Experience the drama and artistry of theater and dance right from your living room with these digital performances and workshops.

While facing unprecedented closures, museums and public gardens across the country are meeting challenges head-on by bringing the natural world straight to you. Digital visitors can get up close with spring foliage, watch animals and natural landscapes in real time, and traverse lands where dinosaurs roamed billions of years ago.

As part of our ongoing series looking at how cities, nonprofits, and low- and middle-incomes countries are fighting the coronavirus, this episode dives deeper into the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund, an initiative which brings together individuals, businesses, and philanthropic organizations, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, to support New York City-based social services and cultural organizations that have been affected by the coronavirus crisis.

As mayors manage the scarcity of Covid-19 tests in their cities, they also need to “play one chess move ahead” to make sure their communities are using testing to produce maximum impact.

A new resource to track all this fast-paced action launched earlier this week. A partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), the Transportation Resource Center is designed to help city leaders stay on top of all the transportation innovations bubbling out of cities and, most importantly, help them spread quickly.

Take a virtual trip around the world with these digital resources and opportunities from five cultural institutions supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we view the world. The virus has rapidly spread through communities worldwide, with devastating impact on people’s health, our economy, and our society. However, there are things we can do today to help slow or prevent the virus from spreading. And it starts with listening to our public health experts.

How do you comply with a “stay at home” order if you don’t have a home?

That’s a question a growing number of city leaders are grappling with as they ramp up responses to the Covid-19 crisis. And many mayors are taking action with breakneck speed, turning hotels and city-owned buildings into temporary homeless shelters.