A look back at COVID-19 throughout 2021

As the year comes to a close, The Panther looks back at some of the major developments from the COVID-19 pandemic that happened both locally and nationwide. Photo illustration by DANIEL PEARSON, Photo Editor

Many updates on the coronavirus pandemic have occurred within the year that allowed the nation to fully reopen, though this “new normal” has come with vaccine and mask mandates, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more deaths from COVID-19 than in 2020.

The Panther created a compilation of some of the major developments and challenges of the last year:

Sentiments toward vaccine and masking policies

March 2021: A few months into 2021, President Joe Biden revealed all U.S. adults would be eligible to receive a vaccine by the start of May, just in time for Fourth of July celebrations. Advocates of the vaccine strongly urged Americans to get any of the three vaccines, but there was some hesitancy among the general public to do so — especially among Orange County residents.

In interviews with The Panther, residents and students explained some of the chief reasons for this hesitancy were the relatively quick speed with which the vaccines had been made and distributed, the unknown long-term effects and the American government’s history of medical malpractice against the BIPOC community.

April 2021: By April 19, 90% of the population would be eligible for vaccination, according to a March press release from Biden. Additionally, Chapman University hosted its first major, on-campus vaccination clinic April 16 in collaboration with Ralphs Grocery Pharmacy. 1,000 vaccines were administered to students, faculty and staff.

August 2021: Chapman President Daniele Struppa sent out an email Aug. 17 in which he said students and faculty members must wear face coverings indoors. The masking protocol was based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collected by Dr. Dan Kelly, Chapman’s consulting epidemiologist from the University of California, San Francisco. The same email also said proof of vaccination or a notice of exemption must be submitted by Sept. 14.

September 2021: Members of the Chapman Activist Coalition organized a petition calling for the university to bring back a hybrid class option, improve the contact tracing system and have more surveillance testing for the Chapman community regardless of anyone’s vaccination status.

October 2021: A group of Chapman University students organized an online petition calling for the university to end mask mandates implemented by the university in mid-August. On Oct. 30, protestors gathered in the Orange Plaza Paseo a few blocks from Chapman’s campus to protest the vaccine and mask mandates.

Anti-vaccination sentiments have also been shared by some businesses nationwide, including In-N-Out, which had to temporarily close its sole San Francisco location Oct. 14 after refusing to require indoor customers to show proof of their vaccination.

November 2021: Biden’s approval of a nationwide mandate Nov. 4, which requires businesses to get their employees vaccinated or have them submit negative weekly test results by Jan. 4, has also experienced pushback from both Democrat and Republican governors.

Emergence of variants

March 2021: Though first discovered October 2020 in India, the Delta variant emerged in the U.S. five months later, according to the New York Times. This COVID-19 strain was found to be twice as contagious as previous variants with a viral load 1,000 times larger than the Alpha variant. 

Although both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations can contract the variant, the latter is at a higher risk. More than 1.8 million cases were reported in the U.S. — the highest number in the world — deeming the Delta variant as the most transmissible strain in the country for COVID-19 cases in general.

August 2021: The Lambda variant arrives in the U.S. after it originally surfaced in Peru exactly a year prior, and cases were reported in over 40 states. Studies conducted at the time stated that not only was the variant more infectious than older variants, but it was also very resistant to the antibodies produced by the vaccine.

November 2021: The Omicron variant was reported Nov. 24 to the World Health Organization (WHO) after being discovered in Botswana and Africa. Two days later, WHO declared Omicron a variant of concern based on early evidence the strain has several mutations capable of impacting transmission. The discovery prompted questions as to whether severe cases of newer mutations could be prevented by the vaccines and booster shots currently available to the public.

December 2021: As a result of the Omicron variant, Biden has restricted travel from eight nations and South Africa. At least 36 states have reported positive cases of the strain as of Dec. 17, and California saw its first case Dec. 1. 

Most of the individuals who have tested positive for the variant are also vaccinated; some had even received their booster shots. One hospitalization has been recorded as of Dec. 17, but no deaths have been reported. It is not yet known how contagious this variant is compared to the Delta variant.

Authorization of booster shots

September 2021: The CDC approved the distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots to older Americans and other vulnerable members of the population Sept. 23.

October 2021: The FDA authorizes the Johnson and Johnson booster for individuals 18 years of age and older, who would be able to get the booster at least two months after the initial dose.

November 2021: The FDA approves the single booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. The CDC, meanwhile, approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.

Impact on local businesses

January 2021: After having to abide by California’s stay-at-home orders for almost a year, businesses throughout the state, especially small businesses, were allowed to reopen after Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted restrictions Jan. 25.

The Panther interviewed the owners of two small businesses in Orange who expressed relief that they would be able to reopen their businesses. Meanwhile, a co-owner from a Lake Forest cremation service, who was also interviewed for the same article, spoke on the huge demand of cremations due to the high number of COVID-19 deaths happening at the time.

March 2021: By this time, three small businesses in Old Towne Orange had already permanently closed their doors as early as late August 2020. The Aussie Bean, which was a favorite coffee spot for residents and students, also permanently closed their Dana Point location.

In light of the closures attributed to the pandemic, Danielle Kramer, an event planner for Disney, created the Instagram account @theorangecircleca in order to highlight small businesses located in the Orange Circle and Old Towne Orange.

December 2021: Compared to the restrictions imposed on restaurants for last year’s holiday season, these businesses will be able to remain open and offer indoor dining services to their customers. Orange County currently does not have a requirement for customers to provide proof of vaccination, unlike Los Angeles County’s requirement that went into effect Nov. 29.