[Editor’s note: The following is an opinion article. The opinions presented are the writer’s own and are not representative of the Trailblazer newspaper staff or Pascack Hills High School.]

Large gatherings and a lack of social distancing are significant contributing factors towards the spread of Covid-19, so limiting interactions among each other is essential in preventing the increase of coronavirus cases; however, this is difficult to do when so many are attending large, unmasked gatherings. 

New Jersey was once one of the states with the highest number of coronavirus cases, but fortunately, the state is not in this condition anymore. However, the chances of a repeat in cases spiking in the state will not go away until a vaccine. There have been 23,415 Covid-19 cases in Bergen County, and that is because people are coming in contact with others. There is a visible spike in cases when comparing two days that are one month apart: 277 new cases on Sept. 8 and 1,298 new cases on Oct. 8. The progress in preventing the spread of the coronavirus has clearly weakened within the past month, meaning fewer people have been social distancing. 

“Although I was initially anxious about bringing students back to Hills, our student body has been great… I do worry about what happens outside the walls of Hills, especially as the weather turns colder and people move indoors. I want our students to understand that their decisions can have a direct impact on the health of themselves and their families. Those decisions can also impact the health of our greater community at Hills and even our ability to continue to hold in-person school,” voiced Hills principal Tim Wieland.

Many Hills students have chosen to attend school on a partially in-person hybrid schedule; however, many have been attending large gatherings. This puts both those attending the gathering and those attending school at risk. 

Additionally, as temperatures decrease in the coming winter, people will spend more time indoors, a factor which only heightens the risk of spread when it comes to the coronavirus.

Knowing that not everyone is comfortable socializing amid a pandemic, Pascack Hills has allowed students to go fully remote this year, an option that I believe students who socialize should have chosen. These students most likely have their health and others’ health as a minor priority, so by doing school virtually, they would not have to worry about staying away from the virus and they could socialize –– without masks and without social distancing –– during the school day if they wanted to.

Announced Oct. 13, there have been two Covid-19 cases at Fieldstone Middle School in Montvale. On Oct. 14, Pascack Valley delivered the news that they had one case, later gaining another, and Hills received the news that an individual tested positive on Oct. 19. It is likely that these four people caught the virus due to socializing with others in these large gatherings that many students in the area –– and across the country –– are attending. 

“If I’m with people that I’ve been seeing and hanging out with a lot, I think it’s okay, especially if we keep a good distance. I also think it’s good if people have tested [for the virus]. If I’m in a big group of people I haven’t seen often, then I’m a little more uncomfortable and would really try to keep my distance and wear a mask or just not go at all. For those who hang out with many people, it’s really their call, but it would be annoying if later one tested positive or if they were not following any precautions at all,” said Hills freshman Reese Hughes.

Even though gathering with many close friends still has its dangers because anyone can catch the virus on any day, it is less uncomfortable because the friends typically will know where everyone has been and respect everyone’s boundaries. One way to lessen the risks from gathering with people is to be tested for the virus –– before and after the gathering. In the end, going to large gatherings will affect the people attending more than anyone else, so as Hughes said, it is their call, though it still harms others. 

President Donald Trump admitted in an audio recording from February, a month before the economy shut down, that “[Covid-19] is more deadly than your, you know, even your strenuous flus.” He proceeded to say that “this is deadly stuff.”

The President has publicly and purposefully understated the dangers of the coronavirus so that he can have citizens’ emotions under control. Though lying was one way to prevent people from fearing the virus, it is also partially responsible for the deaths of those who believed Trump and did not strictly follow safety precautions. Despite all of the evidence proving that this infection is fatal, many still believe that Covid-19 is not death-dealing or that the virus is gone. This is false.

After he was asked if social distancing is necessary, Dr. Stephen Kissler said, “When social distancing measures are lifted, a resurgence in cases follows… To prevent these resurgences from overwhelming hospital resources, we will likely need to continue social distancing.” 

The chances of one person transmitting the virus to another tremendously increase when there is no social distancing taking place. When numerous people convene, there is less space for one to have to oneself and more people for the germs to travel among. Many do not distance themselves when with their friends, and that creates hazards when they are walking in the halls of schools or touching public surfaces –– door handles, stair railings, et cetera –– if they are infected. 

In my eyes, students are overlooking the issues that come from Covid-19 more than acknowledging or doing something about them. One way to handle this is to quarantine students who attend large gatherings for at least a week and receive a warning if the gathering has clearly been risky.

If caught multiple times, the students should go fully remote so that they do not affect the wellbeing of other students or they should have guardians make sure that they do not attend such large events.

It has been a hassle to even have the option to attend school, so when people gather unsafely, they put all of those efforts to waste if the school has to close. It is not as much of a risk if the get-together is small, masks are worn, and no one has any Covid-19 symptoms, but with large ones, the possibilities of the coronavirus spreading and school closing are always lingering.