Over Thanksgiving break, millions of Americans were exposed to large family gatherings. As a result, many families are no longer comfortable with bringing their children to school, where they may be at risk of getting the virus.

     Why is it that cases rose drastically since last week? On a usual Thanksgiving holiday, families and friends accumulate to celebrate the holiday with food. This year, the only way to stay safe is to not gather in a large group, and keep masks on most of the time. Millions of Americans felt it unnecessary to follow these guidelines, and as a result, cases went up.

     The New York Times says that 205,460 Americans tested positive for Coronavirus on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. These numbers alarmed many Americans, and many people chose to quarantine themselves just to be safe.

     Because of the sudden surge in cases, many students who were doing hybrid learning have chosen to stay home instead.

     Since many students are staying home, some teachers are left at school with little or no students in their classrooms. The decreased amount of contact between students and teachers means less people are putting themselves at risk.

     As another bonus, teachers left with no students in class don’t need to wear a mask!

     The decrease in students at school makes it easier for students to stay socially distant from each other. There are fewer students walking in the hallways, and fewer students in a designated area during passing breaks and lunch.

     Although our school has become more dangerous, students and teachers are being very cautious and doing what they think is best for themselves and others.