The Coronavirus is a disease that has been affecting people all over the world since it started in late 2019. The first case in Texas was in March, and since then cases have been increasing.

Students and teachers at Bowie should not be returning to in person school during the pandemic. It isn’t safe yet and won’t help the virus cases go down.

Students are able to social distance at school because the desks are close to one another. There is no easy foolproof way to ensure that students are socially distanced outside of the classroom and at lunch.

COVID cases in Texas are still increasing and will continue to rise as students return back to school. In-person school is not going to help lower the number of cases, but worsen the situation. COVID-19 cases are also higher in larger, urban cities like Austin.

Even with students wearing masks during the day, COVID-19 can still be transmitted. Students take off their masks during lunch to eat and there is no way to prevent the germs from spreading to others, even if they are six feet apart.

Going back to school is also unsafe for teachers, who spend the majority of the day in the same room while students rotate in and out. Their classrooms get exposed to germs which can increase the spread of COVID-19 throughout the campus.

Some people think that going back to school is okay because the virus has a lower effect on younger people, however the students that go to school may have family or people at home that are more vulnerable to get COVID-19. This is unsafe for many people in the Austin community because it increases the number of people exposed to larger groups of people.

Although students have their temperatures checked before entering the school, this does not guarantee that they are virus free. Symptoms for covid don’t show up instantly, and there is no way to know if students have been exposed to COVID-19. If one person in the school unknowingly has covid, it will very likely spread quickly to others at the school.

Going back in person right now should not be the top priority. Online school can be just as effective if students are engaged in active learning. Teachers have been doing a good job of giving students the resources they need to learn and providing extra tutoring and FIT sessions to help those who need it. Staying online is much safer and doesn’t put anyone at risk of contracting the virus. Students should stay online as long as they possibly can for the safety of themselves and others.

Only students who must go back to school due to family or home issues should be allowed to go. This way there are less students at school and less people getting exposed. Less students at school also means less teachers having to go to monitor them. Teachers can still teach on zoom if they need to, and social distancing will be much easier with less people on campus.

I believe that students should go back to school at some point, just not right now. We should go back in person when covid cases are much lower and no longer increasing. We should also wait until there is a more efficient way to ensure students haven’t been exposed to COVID-19 Right now going back in person just isn’t safe for anyone.