Weekly COVID Updates- What’s Going on in Our World
January 29, 2021
- The Covid-19 vaccine is officially out, being used in the U.S. The first vaccine was given to a nurse on January 11th, 2021, and given out nationwide to doctors and nurses later on that Monday. Each state can choose who is vaccinated first however, the CDC recommends healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents to be the first to get it. Because the supply is limited, people 75 years and older and frontline workers would be prioritized in the next phase. As the availability of the vaccine increases, more people will get vaccinated. Relating more closely to us, Washington has its plans and set phases. Washington is currently in Phase 1B, tier one, of vaccine distribution. People included in this phase are the ones previously from 1A, and adding on, 1B tier one: high-risk healthcare workers, high-risk first responders, long-term health care facility residents, all other workers at risk in health care settings, people 65 years or older and all people 50 years and older in multigenerational households. During springtime, according to Washington’s current plans, we will move on to a new phase. In one of the upcoming phases, K-12 teachers and staff who are 50 or older will be eligible for the vaccine starting in February, and teachers and staff under 50, in April.
- The Coronavirus has made school very different for everyone this year but, Prep is slowly but surely returning to normalcy. Students went to school for the first time this school year on the week of January 11th. The week went by smoothly, with only a quarter of students on campus a day. Last names A through D went on Monday, E through K on Tuesday, and so on. Students returned to campus again at the start of the second semester, the week of January 25th. They will keep returning at 25 percent, once a week, for the next three weeks unless plans change suddenly due to Covid conditions. A transition to 50 percent will be in Prep’s future but keeping the community safe is the main priority. Prep is staying safe in many ways before, during, and after school. All students are required to complete an online health screening before arriving on campus, which is shown to a teacher once they arrive at the school. The campus is marked with arrows and signs telling students which directions to go to stay distanced as much as possible. Everyone is required to wear a mask at all times, besides lunch, where students may remove their masks to eat, but must stay six feet apart from one another. There are many other guidelines that students and staff follow but they are in everyone’s best interest and a way to keep everyone safe.
