COVID-19 protocol is etched into our brains at this point: wearing a mask, staying six feet apart
from others, washing hands frequently, and refraining from large gatherings. Life seems to
slowly return to normal, and people are beginning to feel accustomed to their social, work,
and/or school environment. But what is causing the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases?One likely contributor is Halloween, as trick-or-treaters and teenagers may have ignored safety
guidelines to protect themselves from the virus on that night.
For instance, a Halloween party in St. Louis, Missouri led to at least five positive COVID-19 cases,
and over 200 high school students exposed to the virus, according to city officials. To combat
this, St. Louis mayor Lyda Krewson imposed restrictions on private gatherings to
help stop the spread of the virus.
Apart from Halloween, not everyone is following the guidelines mentioned earlier, allowing for
an easy transfer of the virus between family, friends, and the community.
Just on November 13, the U.S. hit a record-shattering 181,551 positive cases, the most single-day
positive COVID-19 cases globally – ever. To bring this home, Bucks County also experienced its
greatest single day count of 6,214 positive cases on November 16.
Although the numbers in the future will likely change and develop a new trend, whether for
better or worse, these alarming numbers clearly signal that Coronavirus will not be ending
anytime soon.
Of course, there are talks about vaccines for the virus as well, but nothing in this COVID era can
be held for certain.
Now how can this increase in cases affect us? Our neighboring county of Montgomery has
already decided to shift its schools to virtual for Thanksgiving, as discussed by the county’s
board of health.
Although this may not lead Central Bucks or Bucks County in general to change, it will clearly
have an influence on future school learning plans.
As for now, with the Thanksgiving holiday soon approaching, following the guidelines to maintain a low case count is more important than ever.