December Issue III

6 news | DECEMber 2020
Will the post
winter break
quarantine
be effective?
Looking into how Baldwin will be affected by winter vacation travel
By EESHA SHARMA ‘24
With the holidays approaching,
the Baldwin School has
imposed a two week quarantine
period to help keep
students safe from the COVID-19 virus
after winter break. Despite instituting this
rule, will students and parents make the responsible
decision to follow it?
Between Thanksgiving and the many
holidays that occur throughout the end of
winter, travelers across America will be
heading home to celebrate, even during
the pandemic. Traveling during these times
can be a very risky choice because there
is a high chance of being exposed to the
virus.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), airports,
public transportation, bus and train stations,
gas stations, and rest stops are all potential
places to be exposed. With all these
risks spelled out, many people have chosen
to stay home for this holiday season.
But William F. Maag Jr. of WFMJ
Radio reports that 45% of Americans still
plan to travel in some capacity this year.
This decision could be due to numerous
factors, such as beloved traditions or that
the holiday season might be the only time
some see family all year. Realizing that
many students plan on traveling this year,
Baldwin has chosen to have all their students
attend virtual school for two weeks
following winter break.
Quarantining for 10 days is the standard
practice the CDC has recommended
for those who may have been exposed to
the virus. Keeping this in mind, Baldwin
expects their students to stay quarantined
within their homes if they traveled. Although
this may seem like an ideal solution
on paper, it may not be as successful
in practice.
The recommended quarantine will be
a chance for families to travel and return to
school safely, but it can also be taken advantage
of and used as extra time to travel.
Students and their families may not follow
the rules and use the virtual days as an extended
vacation instead of their intended
purpose.
“
When
a s k e d
about her
thoughts
on the
two-week
quarantine,
Lauren
Halak
‘24 agreed
it was a
The recommended
quarantine will be a chance
for families to travel and
return to school safely, but
it can also be taken advantage
of and used as extra
time to travel.”
great opportunity for families to travel.
However, she too acknowledged the risks
of adding two more weeks of virtual education
to winter break.
“I think that it’s also a way forfamilies
who might not be as safe in regards
to the pandemic to take advantage of that
and travel more and take more time away
where they could get exposed to COVID
and in the future expose other people,” Halak
said.
In a perfect
world, all Baldwin
students and their
families will be safe
during the holidays
and quarantine as
instructed. But, Baldwin
cannot control
what students choose
to do when they are
not at school, which
means it is up to
Baldwin families to make responsible
choices.
This leaves the question of what decisions
will be made by families and how it
will affect Baldwin in the upcoming holiday
season?
Design by Grace Halak ‘22
Photography by Jaclyn Dichter ‘22