Students in Rochester attending school during the Covid-19 pandemic and getting an education has become risky for many.

 Even now many schools have numerous students who attend school from their homes while others have chosen to attend in person. However, strict social distancing and mask requirements have made school much different from what it previously was.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2019-2020 school year was cut short and moved entirely to remote learning. In order to accommodate all students, schools such as McQuaid Jesuit have given the option of remote or in person classes.

“School is kind of, it’s a lot different… there is a very different vibe to it. People are kind of more cautious I would say and there is definitely some tension. But I am sure, like, a lot of people feel, and like I feel we’re just glad to be back,” says Ryan McCarthy, ‘21.

Other schools have split the student body into different groups which attend school on specific days of the week. However, with every major holiday, during which many people ignore health precautions, cases continue to rise and a return normalcy seems distant.

 At the end of the Thanksgiving holiday, students were required to be tested by Governor Cuomo in order to reopen the school, including McCarthy, who initially only had minor symptoms which he had mistaken for a common cold because of the time of year.

“I definitely had some symptoms. I had like a stuffy nose, a little bit of a clogged throat, but I originally just thought that that was a cold you know, because those are cold symptoms… My smell was actually, like it’s not, I wouldn’t say it’s gone but like it’s definitely, like some sensors are not as strong anymore…” said McCarthy.

McCarthy stated that after he received a positive test, he transitioned to learning remotely and his teachers were able to facilitate his transition and make sure that he is still being educated as he would in the classroom.

According to McQuaid Jesuit’s Covid-19 information web page, the school has had a total of 61 cases of which 17 are currently active as of Jan. 9, 2021.

The future for schools is still very uncertain and many are continuing in hope of a complete return. The first doses of the vaccine have been distributed to essential workers, but the supply is limited. Manufacturers of the vaccine are in a race against the growing cases every day.