After months of quarantine, hundreds of hours of Zoom classes and rewatching Schitt’s Creek more times than I’d care to admit, it finally seems like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. However, Miss Rona’s not done with us yet. The move to guarded risk doesn’t mean we can get right back to business as usual. Here’s what the move to guarded risk means and why we can’t screw it up.
The move to guarded risk means…
Gatherings are allowed
Gatherings are capped at 250 people, and everyone is still required to wear a face covering. However, gatherings that are associated with student organizations have to be registered beforehand, and virtual gatherings are still preferred when possible.
Some classes are in person
Although most classes are still online for the rest of the semester, professors can hold class if a classroom has already been designated to them. Of course, you are still required to take your temperature before going in, wear a face covering the whole time and stay six feet away from classmates.
The efforts we’re taking to slow the spread are working – but we’re not done yet
Covid-19 cases at Pitt have generally been decreasing, but that doesn’t mean this trend is going to continue. It’s likely that we’re in between the second and third waves of this virus right now, which means we still have to be ready for the number of cases to spike again soon.
The move to guarded risk doesn’t mean…
It’s okay to go to parties – especially not on Halloween!
Listen, I miss going out too. But if we just hold off a little longer, we can go to parties without putting people’s lives at risk, which is much more fun in my humble opinion. When you’re staying in this year, try HC’s activities for Halloween in quarantine!
You don’t have to wear a mask
The reason things are getting better is that so many people are following the guidelines. Continuing to wear a mask will help slow the virus down even more. If we stop wearing them now, things will only get worse.
The virus is gone
We still don’t know when we’re getting a vaccine, when there will be a third wave or how long our collective recovery will take. Until this thing is totally over, we can’t go back to normal without putting people’s lives at risk.
Please don’t stop taking this seriously. The virus wouldn’t be such a big deal if people’s lives weren’t at risk. A year from now, this whole thing will (hopefully) be a distant memory, but what will matter is how you acted and whether or not you chose to protect yourself and others. Please make the right choice! (Seriously, please, I’m losing my mind here.)
For more information about the operational postures, visit Pitt’s website.