GEOFF BENNETT: Five years after the COVID# pandemic, the effects on our politics,## public health, and civic life continue# to be felt across many communities.

As part of her ongoing reporting# project, America at a Crossroads,## Judy Woodruff recently traveled to# Southeastern Michigan to find out## how divisions that emerged during the# pandemic continue to play out today.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Sunday morning service# at Second Baptist in Ypsilanti,## a celebration of life and faith years after# first weathering the storm of the pandemic.

Pastor George Waddles: REV.

GEORGE WADDLES, Second Baptist Church# Ypsilanti: We had one of our members who died## early, a man who was an integral part of our# church, an auditor and a trustee, and he was## one of the first people in Michigan who passed# away from COVID.

So we were immediately impacted## by the reality of how this was going to impact# our community.

And then the tidal wave began.

JUDY WOODRUFF: About 15 miles to the south,# in the small city of Milan, Ashley St. Clair's## salon and tattoo parlor had been up and running# for only six months when everything shut down.

ASHLEY ST. CLAIR, Ink and Dye Milan:# Salons, tattoo shops, massage parlors,## we all had to shut down end of day that# day.

So I came in, told my husband,## this is your last client of the day.

And we all# giggled and said, we will see you in two weeks.

HOLLI VALLADE, Milan Resident: Yes, because# they are going to make hamburgers tonight.

JUDY WOODRUFF: A little to the east, mother of# two Holli Vallade remembers the fear o.. early days and being thankful officials# had stepped in to keep the public safe.

HOLLI VALLADE: I was grateful that they were# making the decisions they were making.

It was## a scary time.

As time went on, you kind of --# you start to do your own research, you start to## kind of watch what's happening around you.

And# I think -- I think your patience grows thin.

JUDY WOODRUFF: In the county next door, in# Dearborn, Army veteran Hassan Nehme remembers## struggling to figure out how he was going to keep## his family contracting business# afloat and his employees working.

HASSAN NEHME, Dearborn Heights Business Owner: And# where we're worried about feeding our families,## they're telling us, well, it's for# your safety.

You got to stay indoors,## can't work.

Where do you kind of# bounce between that, you know,## following and obeying these rules for everybody's# safety or being able to feed your family?

JUDY WOODRUFF: Five years# after the pandemic declaration,## the divisions over the COVID response# here track the national picture.## A recent report from the Pew Research Center# found that the pandemic deepened partisanship,## distrust in institutions, and the# fragmentation of our news media.

Early on, Michigan saw a backlash to# public health measures with protests## against business and school closures# by people flouting masking and social## distancing guidelines.

In the fall of 2020,# a group of men were charged with plotting## to kidnap Democrat Governor Gretchen# Whitmer for pushing those measures.

But away from those headline-grabbing events,## residents here took away very different# lessons from their experiences.

HASSAN NEHME: I was raised that# this nation is amazing because its## the power with the people.

I mean,# we -- our voice matters.

And then,## during COVID, we learned our voice# didn't matter.

We were told what to do.

We get fed up.

We are Americans.

We# know our civil liberties.

We hold## firmly to them.

And then, once we feel like# they're being challenged, we push back.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Last year, Nehme# ran as a Republican for Congress## and served as a delegate at the# Republican National Convention.

REV.

GEORGE WADDLES: To be honest with you,## I think that it smacks of arrogance and# .. JUDY WOODRUFF: In Ypsilanti, Pastor George# Waddles feels very different about the pushback.

REV.

GEORGE WADDLES: If we're in a crowded# theater and there's a fire, you can pretend## it's not there, but if you sit there long enough,# you're going to get burned.

And in my opinion,## those who were protesting have the right to do so.# Thank God we're in the United States of America.

But on the flip side of that, we have to respect## the fact that your protest fails# to recognize the pain of others.

HOLLI VALLADE: Kids didn't go to# college because of it.

We have no## idea where they would be today if it# hadn't been handled the way it was.

JUDY WOODRUFF: For Holli Vallade,# her children's struggles in school,## one a junior, another just entering preschool... HOLLI VALLADE: They really did# vilify parents that had concerns.

JUDY WOODRUFF: ... led her to question# decisions made by Governor Whitmer,## the local health department and her local# school board, even as she saw different ones## being made in counties or districts next door.# That didn't end when COVID restrictions eased.

HOLLI VALLADE: I would say COVID# opened a can of worms.

I started## watching school board meetings because I# wasn't sure what was happening with COVID## and I wasn't sure what our school was# going to do to keep our kids safe.

But watching those meetings really# opened my eyes to what was taking## place within our school system.

We started# hearing about bullying that was happening.## We started hearing about examples# of Critical Race Theory coming in,## of the LGBT agenda being pushed in the# classrooms as young as like third grade.

Maybe, if you knew what we knew, you would# understand us better.

Maybe then you wouldn't be## so quick to put us down for wanting to fight for# the kids being harmed by some of these decisions.

JUDY WOODRUFF: While Vallade became# a regular at school board meetings... ASHLEY ST. CLAIR: As soon as the masking# mandates started, we started masking up## at the studio.

We have always followed the# Washington County Health Department guidelines.

JUDY WOODRUFF: ... salon owner Ashley St.# Clair, who also had young children dealing## with COVID restrictions, often appeared as well,# speaking in support of the Health Department.

ASHLEY ST. CLAIR: I understand the# frustration behind it, but I also## understand why our health officials thought# that that was the right thing to do, because## they didn't know what to do.

They were trying to# build a boat while the flood was already here.

JIMENA LOVELUCK, Washtenaw County, Michigan,# Health Officer: You know, public health## is not usually a political issue.# It's.. JUDY WOODRUFF: Washtenaw County health# officer Jimena Loveluck says the pandemic## took a toll on herself and her staff as they# attempted to navigate an overwhelmed health## system, the high number of deaths and# infections, staff burnout and turnover,## and being caught in the middle of what# became an intense political fight.

JIMENA LOVELUCK: In public health, we# approach this from a population perspective,## a community perspective, that we are# all connected and our actions can have## impacts on the other.

And I think# that sometimes lack of connection,## the challenges that we had even before# COVID with greater isolation and lessening## social connection also, I think, fed into# that polarization and those divisions.

ASHLEY ST. CLAIR: I feel like 2020 and the# pandemic was a really big tipping point## politically for divisions.

And I think that# those have continued on.

When you live in a## town like this, you see those people all of# the time.

But to protect, like, my own peace,## to protect the peace of my family, to protect# the peace of my clients and the people who help## us keep this business open, there are some lines# that just have to be drawn, and it's hard.

It is.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Today, everyone seems to# recognize that these deepening divisions## and loss of trust are problems, even as they# are far less sure what to do about them.

HASSAN NEHME: There's no reason that this# should happen in this manner ever again.## Now that we have all the data, there's no# reason that we don't go and siphon through## all of this and figure out where we went# wrong, what could have been done right,## and get some of the greatest minds on earth# to figure out a plan to move forward on this.

HOLLI VALLADE: There are going to be# situations where we might need to do## things to keep everybody safe and to make# sure everybody stays healthy.

And that## trust has been destroyed, and there's been# no effort.

At least from our perspective## locally or at a state level, there's been# very little effort to rebuild that trust.

REV.

GEORGE WADDLES: I think that's the challenge# that we have in the country now is there are## people who are living different lives and have# no frame of reference for what other people are## going through and no respect for that.

But I think# that's where the conversation has to take place.

JUDY WOODRUFF: In our next story,# we will sit down with two people## on opposing sides of this COVID divide who# are now trying to have that conversation.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm# Judy Woodruff in Milan, Michigan.