For the last several months, we have been fighting a virus called COVID-19. Unfortunately, nobody knows when this pandemic will be over. For this to happen, there has to be a cure or vaccine to help fight this virus. But, while it is still one of the major problems, we should do our best to stay safe. Students at Fayette County started off this year with a choice: hybrid, going to school half of the week and do virtual school the other half, or doing virtual school completely. Due to the cases being contained and not increasing drastically, on Oct. 19 those that chose hybrid began to go to school every single day of the week. Now, the cases have increased and a new schedule has been created. To those that go to school any day of the week this is for you.
To start off, if you are feeling sickly, you should not come to school, especially if it is one of the symptoms of the coronavirus, like coughing and shortness of breath. You coming to school could put so many people at risk, so be cautious and do not come to school. If you get tested, you “will need to fulfill a 10 day quarantine after [your] test date, even if [you] later test negative,” as Dr. Daniel Lane stated in an email. If the results are positive you have to quarantine for at least 14 days and the symptoms must not be present for 10 days straight.
If you were in close contact with someone who has the coronavirus, then you should be contacted by the school and that means that you should be quarantined for 14 days before you can come back to school. After those 14 days, if you have not shown any symptoms then you can come back to school and if you did show symptoms, you should contact the school and stay home. For you to come back, you cannot show any symptoms for 10 days straight. For siblings, if one sibling, was quarantined because they were deemed close contact, then their sibling would not have to quarantine as well unless “the sibling subsequently tests positive, then all students in the household would then have to quarantine,” said Lane.
Now, here is the need-to-knows for lunchtime. Just because you can’t wear your masks while eating and need to take it off does not mean the rules do not apply. You should remain six feet apart while your mask is off and sit two to a table. When you are done eating your lunch, you should put your masks back on, even if lunch has not ended yet. Doing this will help to keep you and the people around you safe.
Hanging out with people out of school is none of the school’s business, but you should avoid going to any big gathering with more than 10 people and use precautions to stay safe. Remember that what you do out of school could affect others at school.
Especially now, with this new schedule because you will be at home more often than before. This new hybrid schedule is a lot different from the original yellow schedule. You go to school every 2 days and when you are not at school you have to get on a zoom call for that class. You don’t have all day to procrastinate and do your work later. A McIntosh senior, Mariela Jimenez, said, ”I think that the hardest part is just trying to keep up with all the due dates that we have to submit and everything and also not being able to see like most of our friends when we aren’t here together.”
This school year has been really difficult, especially now that this new schedule has been set in motion. Everything is confusing and stressful, but remember that our superintendents and school staff understand and are feeling this, too. They only want what is best for us, so we should try our best as well.