As Covid-19 cases increase, students are altering their traditional vacation plans during the holiday season.

    As the holidays swiftly approach, the season for students to visit their family and spend time with those they love is very near. However, travel proves especially difficult and risky due to the increasing number Covid-19 cases. Cases are skyrocketing, with an average of 952 cases per day in Oregon alone, an increase of 83% from the past two weeks (The New York Times). 

    Students have been forced to reschedule their vacations, but some are willing to take the risk to spend time with family. While some students may be pushing their vacations back, others are taking advantage of the extra week off of school.

    “The plans changed because I was supposed to go to Palm Desert last spring, but it changed to this Thanksgiving,” senior Annie Landgraf said. “My mom really values family time, and this may be the only opportunity we can all get together.”
    In addition to the change in travel schedules, activities and destinations within vacations may be limited due to Covid-19 restrictions in other countries and territories. Senior Emma Cordova plans to travel to Quito, Ecuador and spend a month with her family.

    “ Whenever we talked about going on a trip to Ecuador we talked about touring around,” Cordova said. “So I’m going to Quito, which is the capital, but in normal circumstances I would’ve gone to Riobamba to see where [my dad] grew up…rather than just knowing that one area. But because of Covid I’m not going to do that…But I’m pretty much staying in that suburb and staying in that general vicinity rather than taking a train around on the weekends.”

    Furthermore, students are taking extra precautionary measures if they do decide to travel to decrease chances of contracting the virus. This includes quarantining before or after they travel, taking tests to ensure  safety, and more.

    “We’re getting tested before we leave and upon arrival which follows the guidelines of the state of Hawaii,” senior Damon Grim said. “We are also quarantining for 72 hours before departure, and we will be getting tested upon return to Oregon.”

    Although quarantining is the responsible option, students may simply be limiting their time with others and increasing social distancing practices before departing for vacation. Cordova chose to take this route, as well as multiple tests before and after her vacation. 

    “I’ve been still hanging out with my friends, but in reality that’s been like two or three people throughout the past few weeks…So I’m not quarantining like I was during lockdown, but I’m also trying not to hang out with people I haven’t really hung out with a ton.”

    While vacation will serve as a time of rest for students, those traveling during school days will need to find a balance between school, fun , rest, family time, and other obligations. This can prove especially difficult, as those traveling farther will be faced with a time-zone barrier, depending on the destination.

    “Hawaii’s only two hours behind so I’ll probably do [school] unless I don’t feel like it – I haven’t totally decided yet,” Grim said. “I might go most days but probably not all. Honestly I need to enjoy vacation too, so I probably will take some time off, but that long Thanksgiving break is definitely helpful. It’s pretty easy to do school though because it’s online, and you can do it from anywhere.”