Attention, please! We are still in a pandemic! As much as we would all love to forget about COVID-19 and the tough times we are going through, let us not forget that we are still not completely safe from this virus.

Cases started to spike up again, and currently, in Orange County, there were an estimated 5,473 new cases in the span of 2 weeks. There were also 2 new deaths reported on Wednesday, raising the cases of death to 1,528 (ocregister). Due to the huge spike in cases, there was also an increase in hospitalization rates, having risen by 23% in the past week (ocbj). It is also noted that there are currently 304 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and it has been the highest level seen since the last 2 months. ICU patients are also up by 12% in the past week (ocbj). On November 19, there were 582 new cases reported and nine new deaths according to the Orange County Health Care Agency (ocregister). With all of these numbers, it is upsetting to witness how fast the cases rose again in a span of weeks or even days! We are now back in the purple tier and will most likely have to face restaurants and some businesses having to close down again and even a potential school closing.

Governor Gavin Newsom instituted a statewide curfew that will begin this Saturday, November 21. The curfew will start at 10 pm and last until 5 am, where any non-essential work or gatherings cannot meet. The effects will continue until December 21 (voiceofoc). Some places are already preparing for this curfew. LA county decided to reduce indoor capacity by 25% and restaurants by 50% capacity outdoor. The county said that if the daily cases reach 4,500 and the hospitalization rate goes over 2,000, they will impose a three-week lockdown and a curfew that goes from 10 pm to 6 am (usatoday). Some people are already upset with this curfew and a possible lockdown again, but I believe that this is one of the only effective ways to keep the virus under control. Kimberly Jeves (10) said, “People need to understand that the world isn’t circling around them but around everyone. If they wish for life to return to the way it was before this pandemic, they have to get accustomed and be aware of the dangers of their actions.”

Although many of us might have forgotten, we are still not ready to open yet due to many events going on in this world. It is still important to know that we should wait patiently for this time to pass and hopefully be able to return back to normal. Stay safe everybody!