Whereas the first case of COVID–19 in the United States was reported on January 21, 2020; Whereas, on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency due to the spread of COVID–19; Whereas, on February 28, 2020, the first official death of an American from COVID–19 was reported to officials; Whereas further analyses reveal that there may have been unreported deaths due to COVID–19 as early as the beginning of February 2020, with the earliest known death occurring on February 6 in California; Whereas, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic declaration for COVID–19; Whereas, on March 13, 2020, the President declared, pursuant to the National Emergencies Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), that the COVID–19 pandemic constitutes a national emergency; Whereas in the weeks following such declaration, individuals in the United States followed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by avoiding large gatherings, practicing social distancing, and practicing good hygiene; Whereas the employment status of many individuals in the United States was changed since this period of the outbreak, bringing great levels of financial stress and suffering to such individuals; Whereas the schooling of children and young adults across the United States was greatly changed due to the elimination of in-person classes and the transition to distance learning models; Whereas, as of May 1, 2020, thousands of individuals in the United States have passed away due to COVID–19; Whereas the number of deaths in the United States due to COVID–19 is likely higher than the reported number due to the lack of posthumous testing for COVID–19; Whereas communities of color have faced a higher proportion of hospitalization and death from COVID–19 due to underlying health conditions