The world is a lot different than it was a week ago, and that won’t change anytime soon. I hope everyone stays healthy, safe, and secure.
Resources for artists and creators — Media, organizations, and individuals have been compiling lists of resources for the creative community, who along with the general challenges a pandemic brings, face their own set of specific challenges. Just a few: COVID-19 & Freelance Artists is a comprehensive collection that started as a crowd-sourced Google Doc. Billboard compiled a State-by-state Resource Guide for Music Professionals Who Need Help During Coronavirus Crisis. Recording Academy regional chapters have compiled lists of resources for musicians by region: East (Chicago, NY, Philly, DC), South (Memphis, Nashville, Florida, Atlanta), and West (LA, San Francisco, Pacific Northwest, and Texas). The British Journal of Photography has a similar list for photographers. The National Endowment of the Arts has a compilation of compilations of Resources for Artists and Artist Organizations.
The mail must go through — Government can’t stop during a pandemic, though it must adapt to the challenges social distancing brings just as any other organization must. The Copyright Office has a dedicated page for Operations Updates During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The US Patent and Trademark Office also set up a page collecting USPTO Notices Regarding COVID-19. Federal Courts make individual decisions regarding modification of their operations, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has a page dedicated to collecting links to all Court Orders and Updates During COVID-19 Pandemic. For general information, visit the Center for Disease Control’s dedicated page at Coronavirus.gov. For other federal government initiatives, see USA.gov/coronavirus (and Spanish language version). For general state and local government updates, your best bet is to start with your local Congressional representative website, many of which have compiled lists of updates and links as a constituent service.