In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was a global pandemic. It’s now been over a year since the coronavirus disrupted our lives and , thankfully, vaccines are being distributed, cases have decreased and states are being more lenient on their restrictions.
Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Long Beach, transitioned from the purple tier to red on March 15, meaning the county went from having widespread to substantial risk. After this shift, restaurants were allowed to have indoor dining at a limited capacity and several other services, like gyms, were allowed to reopen.
The transition means progress and shows we are on the right path to a virus-free society, like the one we had a year ago. As we continue to see states transition out of the red tier this close to April, college students are excited to have an opportunity to do something exciting for their spring breaks.
Spring break is different for each college student. Some like to go out and party with friends, others travel and many stay home to work or catch up on school work.
While partying can sound fun for spring break, health officials fear that it will cause a spike in coronavirus cases.
The city of Miami, which is known to be one of the most visited cities during spring break because of the party scene, recently set an emergency 8 p.m. curfew in the entertainment district through the Miami Police Department’s official Twitter, which was made effective on March 22.
The curfew was put into place because crowds with no masks over the weekend began to cause chaos, like disrupting the residents and restaurants nearby.
It might not be the right time to go out and party as states begin to re-open so we can continue to see progress during the pandemic. I won’t criticize those who do go out to party during their spring break, because I understand that they’re tired of being home.
We’ve been in lockdown for over a year now, and I can see why many college students want to go out and party. They want to have fun and enjoy life, especially during a time when stress is so apparent. I would suggest they be aware of their actions and to be prepared for any consequences of partying during the coronavirus.
As for myself, I am going on a five-day road trip to visit several national parks, like The Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Lake Powell and Bryce Canyon, which are located near Utah and Arizona.
The pandemic has affected my mental state, creativity, ability to focus and my well-being, so as I approach my last semester at Long Beach State I wanted to take this trip as a celebration for pushing through during the coronavirus lockdown.