With spring break rapidly approaching and the threat of COVID-19 still looming over many people’s minds, it is crucial to take into consideration how this vacation will impact the Concord Academy population in addition to the state as a whole. As of February 20th, according to mass.gov, there have been a total of 1,822 confirmed cases over the past two weeks, and though these numbers are significantly lower than when compared to just a month ago, the wariness it creates has still yet to have dissipated.
Travel numbers have been steadily climbing over the past couple of months, with significant spikes during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday seasons. CNBC reports that “45% of [the US population] has taken a vacation… with 27% saying they took two… and 12% reported three or more,” clearly illustrating that many are frantic to “get away” from their current lives.
There is little doubt that at least some of the populace is going to be traveling this upcoming holiday season. On this, Marly Kadson ’24 asserts, “I think it’s so stupid, people are dying—it’s selfish to even conceive of non-essentially traveling solely because you want to.”
Marly continues, “I find it shocking that people can look at statistics of COVID-19 cases continuing to rise, and [then] decide to contribute to the problem because ‘they won’t get it’.”A massive concern for many is the factor of asymptomatic carriers of the virus, which make up 50% of all COVID-19 cases, according to fodors.com. Of those numbers, many who unknowingly carry the virus won’t display the symptoms until two weeks following their infection.
The repercussions of traveling during this time can be overwhelmingly negative for the world around us. For example, during the winter season, travelling, in addition to the generally poor weather, resulted in the highest COVID-19 spike in Massachusetts during the entire pandemic, reaching an average total weekly infection rate of just under 6,500 cases, according to the New York Times.
With this knowledge in hand, what are people from CA planning to do over the break? “Nothing,” Marly says, “I haven’t been seeing anyone outside my pod, and I don’t plan on soon.”
Though the appeal of travel may be overwhelming, especially after being cooped up for almost exactly a year now, it is critical to consider if it’s worth risking your and your family’s health to get out of the house.