Neil Ahmed

Governor Tom Wolf, along with members of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, have advised Pennsylvanians to make an effort to take precaution this holiday season. The steep, abrupt spike in positive COVID-19 results tests will change the way we experience the holiday season.

Recent holiday travel has likely attributed to this. The State releases statistics daily. Since January, Pennsylvania reported a total of 411,484 positive Coronavirus tests. On instagram, Governor Wolf posted a graph showing the drastic rise in positive cases. The results are unfavorable. 

Pennsylvania reported a record 2,500 new cases of COVID-19 on October 29th, 2020. Since then, cases have skyrocketed, and several thousand positive tests per day has become the norm. The majority of the days since the end of October have resulted in several thousand positives per day. This past Friday, Pennsylvanians testing positive peaked at an all time high of 12,348. 

During this holiday season, many experts have expressed serious concern that the worst is yet to come if we as a whole don’t follow safety protocol. Clinical Psychologist and author, Melanie Greenberg told USA TODAY that lots of people, generally speaking, are seeking some form of gathering with family and friends more than ever after months of social distancing.

Unfortunately, this holiday season won’t be the same, but if we all don’t take necessary precaution, this pandemic could be prolonged tenfold. The second wave of the Coronavirus in combination with the flu season in full bloom makes it even more important to develop a vaccine as soon and as safe as possible.

 

Photo Credit: @GovernorTomWolf