21-03-2025
Monroe in Pictures: A look back at 2020, the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic
MONROE COUNTY — Although the COVID-19 virus and resulting pandemic can be traced back to 2019, the virus really began to affect everyone's life on Friday, March 13, 2020, the day local schools and many churches and businesses shut-down.
Initially announced as just a temporary situation to curb the spread of the virus, the closures and the pandemic of course lasted for months, resulting in virtual meetings, toilet paper shortages, drive-up COVID testing and the wearing of face masks. All the while, the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Monroe County and across the world continued to increase.
Monroe News photographer Tom Hawley was out almost every day during the pandemic, shooting images of local people coping with the situation and still trying to work and do business. Hawley shot hundreds of images that first year, including several of the ones shown here.
Here's a timeline of the first year of the pandemic in Monroe County. Most of the dates listed are the dates the stories appeared in The Monroe News and other publications.
Late February: Monroe County Health Department staff came up with a COVID-19 response plan. It included notifying residents about cases. At that time, there were no local COVID cases.
By March 11: Local school districts put together COVID plans. Plans were to remain in school, but to have strict protocols for hand-washing and social distancing.
March 13: Area schools announced they'd close for three weeks to curtail the spread of COVID. That next Monday, March 16, many began offering classes online. Monroe City Hall closed early March 13 and began remote work. Monroe County Library System shut down all its branches on March 13.
March 14: Monroe County's first case of COVID-19 was reported. The adult female had a history of domestic travel.
March 20: Local schools began using their buses to deliver meals to families.
March 24: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered a stay-home order. Some exceptions to the order were trips to the grocery store and to get medications.
April: First federal economic impact payments were sent to U.S. households.
April 3: Schools in Michigan would be closed for the remainder of the school year, Whitmer announced.
April 8: Truckers warned about supply chain shortages because of the pandemic.
April 9: First COVID death in Monroe County. The elderly male had underlying health conditions. By June 20, a total of 20 Monroe County residents had died from the virus. In Michigan by that time, 5,823 had died. Michigan's COVID-19 case count was at 60,829.
April 10: Whitmer extended the stay-home order through the end of April. People began to embrace baking and other 'old household skills' while spending so much time at home.
April 15: Ford Motor Co.'s Flat Rock plant began making respirators. By May 8, it had sent its first one out, to Seattle.
April 16: Some Michigan residents converged on the Capitol in Lansing to protest stay-home order.
April 25: Michigan's stay-home order was extended to May 15.
April 29: AAA reports Michigan gas was the cheapest it had been since 2002. Meat selections were limited in stores.
Early May: Local high schools made plans for virtual or drive-thru graduation ceremonies.
May 20: Church services resumed at Monroe's Catholic churches.
May 21: Food prices soared to all-time highs nationwide.
May 23: Michigan's stay-home order were extended to June 12.
May 25: Monroe County businesses began to reopen.
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May 30: U.S. neared 100,000 dead from the virus.
June 2: Stay-home order was lifted in Michigan, but masks were still mandated.
June 11: Monroe restaurants and hair businesses reopened.
Aug. 30: Some local parents joined others in Lansing to rally for resuming high school football.
Sept. 28: 1 million in the U.S. had died from COVID-19.
Dec. 19: First COVID vaccines were given in Monroe County.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Masks, illness, shortages, virtual meetings marked 2020 in Monroe
