Isabella Montenegro
Opinion Editor
The updated close contact protocol is beneficial for all students on campus as it does not force students to miss school days or after school activities for extended periods of time. The new and improved protocol is more efficient in that it now requires proof of vaccination and negative COVID-19 results, ensuring the safety of students.
As more and more COVID-19 cases have been confirmed on campus, protocols have been
altered. Earlier in the school year, students were forced to quarantine if they came into close
contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Now, If a student tests positive for
coronavirus, anyone in close contact with the infected student no longer has to quarantine for 10 days.
This new protocol is effective because students still must follow health screening requirements to attend school, regardless of whether a student has come into close contact with COVID-19. Students now have to send in proof of vaccination or a negative covid test to the attendance office electronically or in-person in order to attend school. Thus leading to a reduction in the amount of contact tracing and absences.
By not needing to miss 10 days of school, students will be less at risk of falling behind on
missed material in class. Many teachers make sure that students who can’t attend school for a few days can stay updated through Google Classroom, where students’ assignments and daily agendas are posted. However, for the long term, absent students would be missing crucial learning instructions that cannot be uploaded to Google Classroom, such as live lectures and discussions.
Student athletes are also greatly aided by this new protocol, as they frequently come into close contact with other players. Contact tracing for athletes is more complicated compared to normal student contact tracing, as it involves games against other schools and that include a vast amount of athletes. Before the dismantling of the 10-day protocol, games were being cancelled regularly due to outbreaks and the close contact protocols that were put in place.
This more lenient protocol has the potential to cause concern for many families who have been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, especially if a family member is unvaccinated or has other health issues. In an attempt to calm these concerns, Costa now provides free testing to all students on Wednesdays from 12pm to 5pm on campus.
COVID-19 guidelines will not be in place forever now that school is open at full capacity, and it is possible that they may be completely removed in the future.
This new close contact protocol is safe and advantageous for students on campus, as it makes
it easier for the transition for students to in-person learning to be smooth and painless.
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