The Globe photographersâ best photos of 2020
Discover the stories behind some of the most memorable images from a long year.
By Boston Globe photo staff as told to Melissa Schorr,Updated December 24, 2020, 10:08 a.m.
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Barry Chin
October 23 / Brockton â What weâre living through now with the pandemic is going down in history, so it was extremely important to be out there covering it. I was actually on assignment to shoot a high school lacrosse game when I saw these two empty COVID-19 testing tents. Right before dusk, a few cars drove up and I jumped out of my car and shot a few frames. The color balance from the lighting mixed with sunset gave it that weird glow. It looked like science fiction; it looked otherworldly. âBarry Chin
He drove himself to the hospital, tested positive and doesn t remember much after that. I wasn t prepared for what was coming, he said. Obviously, I didn t know, it happened so quick.
Borges was intensive care. He was intubated and fighting for his life.
He feels lucky because he survived. One of his fellow officers didn t.
Officer Jose Fontanez was critically ill around the same time and passed away from complications of COVID-19. We think about that all the time, said Borges. We pray for his family and his kids.
Borges works in drug enforcement and says he likely contracted the virus on the job. As a first responder, there s no working from home.
Boston police officer who survived COVID-19 happy to have a second chance at life Share Updated: 6:05 PM EST Dec 16, 2020 Karen Anderson Share Updated: 6:05 PM EST Dec 16, 2020
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Show Transcript HEARING FROM THAT OFFICER. EMILY: OUR KAREN ANDERSON HAS HIS STORY NEW ON 5. HE REMEMBERS DRIVING TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT NOT MUCH AFTER THAT. HE WAS IN A, FOR 20 DAYS. COMA FOR 20 DAYS. NOW HE IS SPEAKING OUT. HAPPY TO BE ALIVE. HAPPY TO BE HERE. HE IS A BOSTON POLICE OFFICER. [APPLAUSE] A FATHER OF FOUR AND THE COVID SURVIVOR. EIGHT MONTHS AGO, HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. HERE HE IS SEEING HIS FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE DRIVING TO THE HOSPITAL. IT HASN’T BEEN EASY, BUT HIS FAMILY IS GRATEFUL HE IS ALIVE. THE HOLIDAYS, THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS PITS SOMETIMES YOU THINK, IF I WASN’T HERE, THESE WOULD BE THE DAYS THAT IT WILL BE TOUGH FOR THEM, SO EVERYONE IS GRATEFUL AND I AM HAPPY TO HAVE A SECOND CHANCE.