Clark County residents adapted to COVID-19 and its effects in myriad ways
A year ago, when the first Clark County resident died of COVID-19, we didn’t know how much our lives were about to change. We flocked to grocery stores to stock up because we had the sense that we should prepare — but we weren’t sure what it would take to keep ourselves safe. Then came the lockdowns, the mask mandates, the school closures, the rising number of cases. And so many lives lost: more than 200 in Clark County, 5,000 in Washington, half-million in the United States, 2.5 million worldwide. With these photos, we reflect on this slowly unfolding, historic tragedy.
Touchmark resident Gladys Meier waves at staff members as an outdoor parade moves by her window through the parking lot at the senior living community in Vancouver on March 26, 2020.
Chuck Nadgwick of Camas passes the historic Liberty Theatre, which is currently closed during the COVID-19 quarantine, as he enjoys a warm spring evening with his dogs April 17, 2020. Nadgwick was on his way to get takeout at a restaurant downtown but found there wasn't the usual bustling Friday night foot traffic due to closures from the coronavirus. 'It's amazing how quiet it is,' he said.
Evergreen Memorial Gardens staff, family members listen as Chaplain Landis Epp leads the burial prayer for Velda Bridger at the cemetery in Vancouver on April 27, 2020. Only two family members could stand by the gravesite for the burial, but Evergreen Memorial Gardens also offered a live recording for family to tune in and watch. The recording is also available to the family for three months after the burial.
Linda Karschney, volunteer with Living Hope Church, pauses for a portrait after securing a tent in the temporary homeless encampment outside the building on May 5, 2020. Karschney was among a handful of helpers from the congregation who joined the church as they stepped up to provide shelter, showers, snacks and portable bathrooms to those dealing with homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coaches Barbara Laudadio, left, and Traci Cole of Burntown Fitness create a workout video for home users at a garage in Orchards on May 19, 2020. Burntown Fitness, like many other businesses, has had to adjust to life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Multiple planes from Alaska Airlines fill a secondary runway at Portland International Airport, grounded by the ripple effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic on May 20, 2020. The airport has seen a huge drop in air traffic because of COVID-19 concerns.
Charlie Raetz, left, a longtime member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Washougal, offers communion to Camas resident Tanya Fritz with the help of Pastor Robert Barber on May 24, 2020. St. Matthew Lutheran Church, a small church in Washougal, offered its first drive-in church service that also included music, a message and cookies to-go for those in attendance.
Katherine Vasquez, a Cowlitz Tribe councilwoman who lives in Lacey, center, is surrounded by confetti as she celebrates the reopening of ilani with members of the public on May 28, 2020. The casino had been closed for 70 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Graduates from multiple schools gather in an Orchards cul-de-sac to listen to former Prairie High School principal Travis Drake as he honors the class of 2020 on June 5, 2020. The students marked the occasion with nearby families as COVID-19 concerns forced the cancellation of their scheduled ceremony.
Connie Kessinger of St. Joseph Catholic Church, right, bows her head in prayer before the service on June 18, 2020. As churches slowly reopen, the traditional Catholic Mass has shifted to adapt to COVID-19.
Carmela Lemon, pictured at her home on July 13, 2020, is a first grade teacher terrified about going back to school. She's immunocompromised and fears what kind of challenges she may face in a classroom.
Jill Lovato, facing, gives a hand to her son, Wyatt, 7, in stripes, as he enters the room to continue his virtual math lesson while joined by tutor Cheryl Davey and his brother, Rowan, also 7, at their Vancouver home Sept. 18, 2020. Wyatt has cerebral palsy and uses a walker.
Mary Stender, a temporary worker for the Clark County Elections Office, prepares for the next voter while keeping the democratic process free from coronavirus on Nov. 3, 2020.
Veterans Lawrence Doyle, from left, John Stephens and James Curry receive a round of applause after getting their COVID-19 vaccinations at the Community Living Center on the Veterans Affairs campus December 17, 2020.
Bob Swenson of Camas receives his first COVID-19 shot at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds on January 26, 2021. Swenson said he got his tattoo in honor of his mother, Ginger Swenson, and has another on the opposite shoulder to honor his father.
Chuck Adams of La Center, left, gives a thumbs-up while receiving his COVID-19 vaccination from Staff Sgt. Cory Hoveskeland of the Air National Guard at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds on January 26, 2021. Adams said getting the vaccination went smoothly. 'I didn't even feel it,' he said.
