COVID-19 has put a halt to the daily life activities of many around the world. Jobs have closed and many school districts implemented some sort of virtual learning program for the time being. However, as the months progressed, cases increased. Despite the increase in cases, public places slowly began to reopen and students have returned back to schools with in-person learning. Some believed that the virus would be gone by the summertime, but it extended its stay throughout the summertime and is still an ongoing issue within America. As the cases continued to rise and reach new peaks, safety precautions have developed regarding quarantine, proper safety gear, and social distancing. The virus has affected many and it continues to affect more and more everyday.

Continuing its stay to summertime, longer than some expected, family’s summer plans had to be rescheduled or cancelled. Summer break is the time most families look forward to as a way to get away from school and work, but with Covid-19 reaching new heights, summer became a time of quarantine and isolation. Annually, some families decide to go and visit their relatives, some go out of state for vacation, and some take road trips just for the fun of it. For Junior, Kami Chaddick, the virus may have ruined her family’s summer plans, but as one door closed, another opened.

“During the summer, I usually hang out with my friends and me and my family would go down to Houston because that is where I’m from. Due to the virus, my family and I had to stay at home the whole summertime. Though I wasn’t able to do my usual summer activities, I was able to have some alone time by myself and it let me focus on myself regarding my mental health,” said Chaddick.

Summertime proceeded as usual, and public places, such as restaurants, gyms, and barber shops, began to reopen. With the reopening of public places, populations of people started going out again. As people started going out again, the number of COVID cases seen nationwide started increasing. For Senior, Mia Hernandez, instead of taking the risk of being exposed to the virus, she stayed quarantined in her house.

“Even though public places have reopened, I decided to stay quarantined in my house with my family. Also, even if I did go out, I would make sure that I was social distancing from people. Staying at home for a long period of time while everybody was going out took a toll on my social health, but it was for the better,” said Hernandez.

Ultimately, COVID cases began to increase exponentially; as a result, new safety precautions began to be implemented and enforced. Wearing a mask became required in many places, social distancing by at least 6 feet was enforced, and hand sanitization became a requirement. While public places began to reopen is helpful for some, this resulted in a strict enforcement in safety guidelines that were outlined by the CDC. As for Junior, Breyn Morris, following these strict safety precautions are for the sake of the future of the world and people’s health.

“The safety precautions are the same from the beginning of COVID, but now they are being way more strict with it. You cannot enter places without a mask, you have to social distance, and you have to sanitize yourself after touching almost everything. Though it is quite meticulous, it is for the better and in hopes for this global pandemic to die down a little bit,” said Morris.

Not only were the precautions enforced in public places, they were enforced in schools. As August came around, the schools started transferring students from virtual to in-person learning. However, some students decided to stay online to reduce the chances of catching the virus. For Junior, Mikaley Applewhite, staying online was the best for her regarding health and school reasonings.

“I decided to stay online because, overall, I saw major improvements once I got used to learning virtually rather than in-person. A lot of stress was relieved for me. Also, a lot of people around me recently have passed because of COVID, and I didn’t want to endanger any of my family or friends who I’m often around,” said Applewhite.

Overall, the virus has developed in ways not many expected. Cases within the United States have reached new heights, with no end in sight. COVID-19 has been one of the impactful pandemics in recent years, since the introduction of influenza. The impact of the pandemic reaches far beyond the borders of the United States, as the virus has affected countries around the globe. The future of the world is left unpredictable and uncertain