The Pandemic School Shutdown
COVID-19 is taking over the world, and we need to end this pandemic sooner than later. According to John Hopkins University, COVID-19 has infected 109 million people and has taken away the lives of 2.4 million people. The Ontario government plans to continue in-person learning until the end of the school year. A full closure of in-person schools during this pandemic may not only slow down the spread of the virus and save children from stringent public health guidelines but also save the lives of the vulnerable population.
Closing in-person schools will slow down the spread of COVID-19. According to CDC, it is essential for students to stay at least 2 meters or six feet away from anyone around them. Ontario’s plan for in-person learning completely disregards this recommendation by only distancing desks one meter apart. In addition, many students do not wear effective masks, nor do they wear their masks properly. Therefore, if one person in a class is infected with COVID-19, it is likely they will spread the virus to most of the class. Shutting down in-person schools will save children from contracting the virus.
The closure of in-person schools will save children from stringent public health guidelines. Ontario’s return to school plan indicates that students must wear masks whenever they cannot socially distance themselves. Students who wear their masks properly may feel extreme discomfort from wearing a mask for over one-fourth of a day. This is very unfair because many parents are currently working at home, while their children are experiencing discomfort at school. If a parent has a chance to take care of their children at home, they should not send their children to in-person schools, a place where their children can easily contract COVID-19. Ontario needs to close down in-person schools to relieve children from daily discomfort.
School closures can save the lives of students’ parents and grandparents and other vulnerable people. Studies from CDC show that seniors may experience severe illness and possibly die if infected with the virus. According to KFF, some elders live with students who go to in-person schools. Schools are a place where students can easily get the virus and spread it to others. Therefore, without in-person schools, an elderly citizen’s life may be saved. The Ontario Government needs to completely shut down in-person schools before another elder’s life is lost due to this virus.
Keeping schools open during the COVID-19 pandemic puts many people at risk and can affect a student’s daily life. If the Ontario Government wants to do what is best for the health of students in Ontario, they should completely shut down schools.