For many of us, 2020 felt like it would never end, a year marked by protests, a contested election and of course, a pandemic. We looked ahead to 2021 with the great hope that COVID-19 would be controlled by vaccines and herd immunity. But here we are, still living with this pandemic and its assorted variants, as scientists and politicians argue over the right way forward. As journalists, this subject has been challenging – and grueling – to cover. We have continued to take precautions in the field, but we know that covering a health crisis carries an element of risk. We have written thousands of stories about the pandemic and finished our tribute to those lost to the disease.
One thousand names One thousand stories We have focused heavily on trying to answer questions for our readers, like what they should know about the omicron variant and booster shots. We went into a COVID-19 ICU, to illustrate what medical professionals were dealing with. We’ve told inspiring stories of people who overcame the disease, like Amanda Hall. And we’re still tracking every week, as best we can, the data about cases and hospitalizations. Really, like all of you, we can’t wait for a time when we’re not writing about COVID-19. Until then, we know how critical it remains to keep the public informed about what’s happening in Florida and around the world. 8
2021 TA M PA B AY T I M E S I M PA C T R E P O RT
