This is a letter from our American sister-city

Good afternoon, dear friends,

On behalf of everyone here in Louisville, I would like to express our concern and deep regard for the people of Perm, our Russian Sister City. 

How are things in Perm? What are you all doing in regards to the coronavirus? People in Louisville are interested to know what's going on around the world: what is life like? what are the procedures that the governments are using to stop the spread?  

Things here are fairly difficult. Luckily the government of each state has been leading the local response effectively. As of right now, Kentucky has shut down all non-essential work, requiring everyone to work from home and practice social distancing. Most people are self-isolating themselves, some are doing this because they want to and believe it to be the right thing to do, but others because there really isn't anywhere for them to go or anything for them to do.  

I'm not sure if you've seen the reports from here, but the grocery stores are entirely out of toilet paper, paper towels, masks of all sorts, hand sanitizer & any alcohol- or bleach-based cleaner. A lot of the shelves for bread, meat, canned and frozen foods are also bare. We've been told that while some products are scarce and will remain so until after we've eliminated the virus, most food products will be coming back to the grocery stores slowly.    
 
Kentucky News: The Kentucky Derby has been postponed to September 5th. Not only is the Derby a major aspect of our cultural identity, but it is also a huge financial boon to the region and state: roughly $400 million economic impact. While the postponement is needed to stop the virus, all of our local businesses (especially restaurants and hotels) are being hard hit by the coronavirus and now have to wait a few extra months for the influx of money around the Derby. 

Jefferson County Public Schools, as are private and Catholic/religious schools, are closed to in-person instruction through at least April 20th, so are teaching through a "non-traditional instruction" (NTI) methods, like having classes online. Many students don't have access to high speed internet or computers/tablets to participate in this education style. However, there will be a plan to help those students in the coming days. 

How are you doing in Perm? What is life like for you now? 
 
Sincerely,
Rosalind Streeter
Executive Director