As school begins and students get back into the groove of things, COVID-19 continues to spread through schools across the state. For the past year, Wake County students have adapted to wearing masks, sanitizing hands, and social distancing, making them common in everyday life. Governor Roy Cooper releases regular updates and answers questions on local news channels frequently, which typically result in similar updates from the Wake County School board. Spectrum News quotes Cooper, saying, “getting our kids back in the classroom for full-time, in-person instruction is critical. And this health guidance will help schools do it safely.” Students may know the basic rules and regulations to follow in schools, however, some may not realize how it directly affects AFHS.
Apex Friendship High School holds many, many students; approximately 2,900, which makes us the largest school in the county. The school’s size contributes to social distancing and continues to be a huge issue, especially during lunchtime. The new lunch schedule cuts down eating time from 1 hour to 25 minutes as a way to divide and socially distance the thousands of kids at school while eating, as eating without masks increases the spread of COVID-19. Wight and the team at AFHS do what they can do to keep students safe at lunch.
Many students don’t like wearing masks 24/7, but Governor Cooper recommends wearing masks, for he fears that schools might have to be shut down. He urges school board districts to require it, saying “please join them and others by adopting strong health protocols.” Some school districts have made it mandatory to keep masks on, but some others in the state have not. In fact, in Wake County, the school board announced that “face coverings are required for all elementary, middle and high school students when indoors and on school-provided transportation, including school buses, activity buses, and vendor transportation.” Essentially, the mask mandates at AFHS and all schools in the county remain required, which Cooper says can help keep case numbers down.
Because of the high numbers, the Wake County school board now pressures people to wear masks at outdoor sporting events too, as said by News Observer. Wake County does require student-athletes on the sidelines to wear them, although the rule does not apply to players actively playing on the field. But remember, indoor sports games still require fans, spectators, and players to wear masks at all times.
On the bright side, even as the numbers of deaths from COVID-19 continue to rise, so do the number of vaccinated North Carolinians. Cooper and Mandy Cohen, the Secretary of North Carolina Districts Health and Human Services, advise people to continue getting vaccinated. Unfortunately, yet none of the available vaccines have been approved for use for children under twelve. Most middle and high schoolers have the option to get the vaccine. According to the CDC, although it will not stop the virus from spreading completely, the vaccine helps slow it down, lessens the severity of illness, and decreases the chance of death for those students and staff who choose to get vaccinated.
All strategies, like wearing masks, sanitizing hands, social distancing, and vaccines become very important to keep schools, students, and staff safe. Even though these inconveniences to our lives can be annoying and frustrating, it becomes imperative if we want to keep schools open and students safe. Updates on the virus and the rules and regulations can be found on a local news channel, or online at the Wake County Public Schools website.
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