Andre Doyle
Staff Writer
Now that 85% of Philadelphia has been vaccinated, society has begun to slowly re-open again .Opposed to the start of the pandemic, many restrictions have been lifted, and over the Thanksgiving break, many people have begun to travel to be with family, and friends.
That being said,the pandemic still isn’t over. Travel is still significantly affected starting last spring, to the summer the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted travel plans, closed down airlines, amusement parks, attractions, and as well as cruises which rely on tourism, and as well as travel.
So what were the holidays like for the SLA community, this time around?
History Teacher Dan Symonds “traveled to New Jersey to see his parents, then he traveled to Brooklyn, New York for a party.” Mr. Symonds was in contact with a total of 17 people, and that “masks were not worn as often” as they were during earlier visits.
He stated that ” Distance seemed the same when traveling. something that was different from pre – covid would be the ¨ hanging cloud of covid, social trauma, stress , and more.¨
In the foreseeable future Mr.Symonds plans to be cautious when traveling.
The New variant will decide whether we can move for Christmas or not to see my brother and his family.¨
Math Teacher Johnathan Estey traveled to Providence, Rhode Island to visit his parents, and Dover, NewHampshire to visit other relatives, visiting twelve people total. At the gatherings, everyone was vaccinated at both locations, so masks were not worn.
His mindset about the visits changed due to having a sense of urgency because of his older relatives who were present at the gathering. As for the travel itself, traffic was also long due to Thanksgiving day, on his way back he got delayed 2 hours.
Mr.Estey definitely plans to travel more as the restrictions lighten up stating that there will be a surge in travel, and will eventually die down due to traveling taking a lot of time, money, and energy.But overall he enjoyed his travels, stating ¨ it was absolutely the right decision although it was stressful.”
Teachers were not the only people to leave the state over the break, SLA Senior Sean Hogan Traveled to Virginia for a family´s birthday. Hogan had seen over seven individuals at the party, and was not sure if everyone was vaccinated or not but despite him being vaccinated himself was still cautious and often wore his mask.
He stated, ¨ It was very different seeing people in months, and actually being outside of the house for once.¨
Due in part to that positive experience, Hogan and his family are planning to travel to Florida for his brother , and his graduation.
There has been a new coronavirus variant known as omicron, healthcare officials state that it’s higher, and faster than anyone has ever anticipated, it has canceled professional sports games, and sent college students home. What will happen in 2022 remains to be seen.
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