Monroe County COVID-19 cases continue to surge following the Thanksgiving holiday. The county’s positivity rate has reached 6.61% as areas around the County have been designated as “orange zones,” a term used by New York State to label high-spread communities.

As of Dec. 7, Monroe County has a 7-day average of 518 cases. Cases have seen a massive increase as it was near 300 cases prior to Thanksgiving. Some parts of Rochester have case rates as high as 7.32%. If numbers such as these continue, non-essential businesses and in-person schools could be forced to close their doors for another “lockdown.” 

Many McQuaid students feel that a return to schoolwide remote learning could really impact their academic motivation.

“Personally, during online school, I find myself not doing the work as much.” says Robert Evangelista, a sophomore at McQuaid Jesuit.

Students across Monroe County rely on in-person school when it comes to academics, and seeing friends.

As Thanksgiving break wraps up, Monroe County shows signs of a recent spike in COVID-19 cases. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued holiday guidelines restricting travel, family member limits per household, and time restrictions to follow in hopes to lower the risk of spread over the holiday season.

COVID-19 continues to prove itself as a health issue in Monroe County, and precautions need to be made in order to prevent an increase in cases over the next few weeks as the Christmas holiday season is quickly approaching.