The mantras of state and local governments vary only in detail and typically boil down to accepting a responsibility that services be delivered to those who need them most. During a public health crisis like the current COVID-19 pandemic, that circle of need widens.
As governments scrambled in recent weeks to launch websites to inform the public and direct people to critical services, the necessity of reliable information and the best practices of how to deliver it were brought into relief. There’s clearly a right and wrong way to build a website.
Here are some of the themes that have emerged as states have launched websites to inform the public and slow the spread of COVID-19: