Ever since school started partially online this year, many students and parents have been curious about when schools will be able to return to in-person classes. However, given the severe increases in new infections, Utah may be one of the worst states for schools to reopen any time soon.

New cases of COVID-19 infections in the state of Utah have increased dramatically in recent months. The pandemic has progressively been getting worse and now seems to have boiled over. COVID-19 has now become the third leading cause of death in Utah. 3,919 new cases were reported in Utah on Thursday, November 12th. Several precautions are now being put into place, including a mask mandate issued by Governor Herbert. All of these things could further delay getting back to regular classes.
Along with the statewide mask mandate, other changes to the COVID-19 restrictions include limiting social gatherings, pausing most, if not all, school sports and other extracurricular activities for two weeks, and increasing testing.

The Board of Education’s meeting this month discussed a possible plan for getting students back into schools. However, this is aimed more towards Preschool and 1st-grade students than high schoolers. Studies from the county health department show that the rates of transmitting COVID-19 are higher among older students than young ones. According to Superintendent Larry Madden, who brought this idea to light during the Board of Education’s meeting, “These students are most at risk for falling behind academically without in-person instruction. These early years are crucial for students, as they learn the fundamentals of reading, letters, and sounds.” There would, of course, be guidelines put in place to keep both teachers and students safe if this plan was put into place. They include frequent handwashing and sanitization, wearing a mask, and physically distancing as much as possible, which are all measuresthat have been proven numerous times to work.

Furthermore, if reopening for elementary students ends up having a positive outcome, it could evolve into middle and high schools bringing students back, which would probably require the same set of guidelines. Requirements could also vary depending on the district, meaning that schools in areas with higher case counts may have more strict guidelines for students and faculty to follow. This is most likely going to be the case for West reopening.