With the COVID-19 outbreak, one of the many precautions that needs to be taken in order to eliminate the virus is social distancing. Social distancing is a measure taken to prevent the spreading of highly contagious diseases, in which people need to maintain a physical distance from one another to prevent mass-spreading.
In order for social distancing to be effective, you need to stand at least six feet away from each other and not participate in any physical gestures; as in handshakes, hugs, etc. Some examples of tactics would consist of working at home, closing schools or taking classes online, cancelling meetings and events, and video-chatting instead of physically meeting up.
As of March 30th, President Donald Trump announced that social distancing will be extended until the end of April. Originally, Trump wanted to ease the guidelines by Easter, but with the increase in cases of COVID-19 in the United States it’s making that goal virtually impossible. This announcement comes as a shock to some considering that Easter is on April 12th. All churches are currently closed and families will have difficulties having an actual easter celebration due to social distancing.
After speaking with several students here at Quinnipiac University regarding plans for Easter, it is clear that normal plans have been altered in a negative way due to COVID-19. Tyler DeGenennaro, a senior studying computer science, is resorting to a different celebration than usual.
“ This year for Easter my family will not be doing our usual tradition. Every year friends and family come to our house to celebrate, but this year it will just be my family and I,” DeGennaro said. “It’s sad that we can’t celebrate how we usually do, and I really hope that things start to get better soon.”
Another Easter tradition of many families is going to a restaurant with their family members and due to social distancing and other precautions, all restaurants can only do takeout or pickup. Avery Hayes, a senior management major, is also having a different easter this year compared to past years
“My family usually goes out to eat at a restaurant every Easter,” Hayes said. “ Because of Coronavirus, we have to do Easter dinner at my house now with just myself, two brothers, mom and dad.”
Another alternative to this year’s Easter would be re-scheduling to a different date, which Senior Jessie Sorebella’s family is doing.
“My whole family is postponing Easter,” Sorebella said. “ This decision came about because it’s not worth risking the health of my grandmother and others.”
