Three years ago, James Logan High School was a faceless campus. Students, teachers, and staff alike wore masks as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. Now, that’s changing. Seemingly, fewer and fewer people opt to attend school with a mask, and life at Logan seems to be reverting back to the way it was pre-coronavirus.
Numerous factors influence the changing response to COVID-19 precautions, including the school district’s updated COVID-19 isolation and testing protocols and the overall social climate surrounding coronavirus.
New Haven Unified School District’s most updated COVID-19 response guidelines now state that it is not required to isolate for five days after receiving a positive COVID-19 test result. A minimum of 24 hours in isolation will suffice, allowing COVID-19-positive individuals to attend work or school if they feel better and have not had a fever for 24 hours. And, students and staff must wear masks when attending school for ten days after their symptoms first occur.
The recommendation of one day of isolation differs significantly from the district’s previous suggestion of 10 days. This update comes as a result of the California Department of Public Health’s wish to transition to a symptom-based exclusion approach similar to that of other illness policies. Coronavirus’s impact on the status quo has reduced greatly compared to previous years as more scientific breakthroughs in treatment exist, and more immunity and fewer deaths and hospitalizations occur in the current population.
Even with these statements from the California Department of Public Health, some students have reservations about the one-day isolation period. Gab Canilao, a senior at James Logan High School, shares some of her thoughts.
“I think that the lowered requirement for isolation is debatable since COVID is still very contagious even with all the vaccines and boosters […] I think at least a few days of isolation would be practical. It doesn’t have to be as long as the prior guideline,” said Canilao.
The reaction to the updated masking policy does not seem to receive the same backlash as the isolation guidelines. However, there remain students who mask up while attending school, even when not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Leyaa George, a James Logan High School senior, opts to wear a mask while attending school. She offers her reasoning for masking up.
“I still wear a mask because my parents want me to […] My dad travels a lot, so he is more at risk than most people,” she explained.
Even with her own choice to wear a mask, she shares her general opinion of COVID-19 cautiousness.
George shared, “Now that it’s died now, even though it’s still there, […] there’s not as much of a need to be cautious about it. I don’t really see as many people at school getting COVID anymore, even if they’re not wearing masks, so I don’t think the risk is really there.”
Overall, these updates to the district’s COVID-19 approach come as a response to the changing climate regarding the virus. Even with fewer cases and fewer deaths, COVID-19 is still a prevalent issue. Following the California Department of Public Health’s guidelines is highly recommended to minimize its spread; however, response and reaction to the illness are ultimately at the discretion of the affected individuals.
