As students head back to school from winter break, Covid-19 appears to be making a grand entrance once more.   Covid-19 cases have risen since the return of students heading back to school. Numerous cases of Covid-19 have left many empty seats open in classrooms, affecting both the students and teachers on a national level. 

Many students are concerned about returning to online learning given the amount of cases that have been identified locally. Schools in L.A county have mandated that students be vaccinated or test weekly in order to attend school in person. There is a shortage of Covid-19 tests as students choose to get tested on a weekly basis. 

The amount of cases continues to rise around schools worldwide alongside the shortage of Covid-19 tests. It has become very easy for students to contract the virus around school and even outside of the school’s boundaries. As we all know, winter break consists of holiday parties, birthday celebrations, and New Years gatherings. Events such as these are a primary factor as to why the number of positive cases has increased.

Schools around San Bernardino County have been providing students with Covid-19 testing kits to take home. Students are now able to test themselves at home and receive their results back in just a few minutes. This has made weekly testing easier for the school itself, but Covid-19 tests are currently short in supply. 

“I went home feeling sick one day, so I got tested by my doctor. The test results came back negative for Covid-19 . I then had to call the school a couple days later to ask if I could return back to school, and they said that I needed to do another Covid-19 test. I ordered an at-home test, and I took it the next day to get the same negative results I received before,” Jade Galan says.

Many schools are tightening down on precautionary measures such as wearing masks indoors and washing your hands properly. Regardless of one’s vaccination status, students are continuing to be put at risk to contract Covid-19. There have been a great number of students who are vaccinated, yet they are still testing positive for Covid-19. 

More recently, students are worried about returning to virtual learning. Seniors in particular are concerned about the status of their senior activities that will take place in the following months. Ultimately, students are hoping that the number of Covid-19 cases will die down alongside the end of flu season.