Dr. Thomas Birkland, whose research focuses on disaster preparedness, returns to OLLI to give his assessment of lessons learned from the pandemic. In the first session, we will review the policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. These responses, such as mask requirements and social distancing, varied considerably from state to state and even within states. An important part of this variation is the extent to which the pandemic has affected some populations far more than others. We will therefore consider important questions of fairness and equity. In the second session, we will ask “what has been learned in the pandemic?” Specifically, what policies changes have resulted from the pandemic experience? We will consider what was learned, what was not learned, and what the response to the next pandemic is likely to look like.

Registration deadline: Oct. 25