March 10, 2021
By Nickolas Medina
Staff Writer
With the colder season coming to a close, New Jersey had seen a large uptick in Covid-19 cases with a lasting effect going into March.
The winter months saw record amounts of new daily cases in New Jersey. December had a monthly high of 6,240 cases, and another 7,878 cases were reported on Jan. 13, the highest it had ever been for a single day. While this has slowed, the average number of daily new cases is more than what it was in the summer and fall.
Meanwhile, the state is attempting to distribute vaccines to the population. Vaccine “mega-sites” are being opened around the state to aid in the proposed 70% immunized goal by summer. Smaller businesses are getting fewer doses a day but are quickly running out as the vaccines are in extreme demand.
Physician and biology teacher Dr. Dunn said he does not believe he will get the vaccine.
“There was an article in the New York Times, and it made front-line news on MSN about a first-line nurse in Alaska that had an anaphylactic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine. That nurse is my niece,” Dunn said. “I believe that anyone who is over 65, immunocompromised, diabetic, diagnosed with COPD, asthma or other respiratory disorders or cancer should be vaccinated.”
“Even without the vaccine, I hoped America would move forward. Maybe people will feel safer, and we will no longer be trapped under a dome of regulations and procedures. Hopefully, this vaccine gives people the leeway they need to return to normal life.”
Dunn said he, as well as other healthcare professionals, believes that the lockdown is having a grave effect on society.
“I think that we all need to get back to normal. The psychological and social damage this lockdown is creating is far worse than the mortality rate of Covid. I am not dismissing the tragedies. However, 99.9% of children and young adults are surviving the symptoms of Covid,” Dunn said.
Junior Delaney Hibbits said quarantining is necessary, but she is unsure how long she can continue following Covid-19 precautions.
“I am tired of the Covid procedures, but it’s necessary to keep fewer people sick,” Hibbits said. “However, Covid is still present after many months, so I don’t know how long I could keep up with it if [Covid procedures] aren’t helping.”
Hibbits said she is hopeful for the country’s future because of the advent of the new vaccines.
“Even without the vaccine, I hoped America would move forward. Maybe people will feel safer, and we will no longer be trapped under a dome of regulations and procedures. Hopefully, this vaccine gives people the leeway they need to return to normal life,” Hibbits said.
Like Hibbits, junior Robert Rivero said the vaccine will be beneficial to overall life.
“Even if only some of the population gets the vaccine, I think it would make a huge impact on the number of new cases,” Rivero said.
Rivero said he would take the vaccine if it were available. The most effective vaccine for preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in America, which is produced by Pfizer, has a 95% rate of effectiveness.
“The companies making these have put extensive research into making sure there are no terrible side effects,” Rivero said.
More information regarding the coronavirus can be found on the Centers and Disease Control and Prevention and New Jersey Covid-19 Information Hub websites. The CDC also has a website on vaccinations for people worried about these injections.
