Addressing recent COVID-19 cases, including the new Omnicron variant, I can only conclude that there is more than sufficient reason that we should move Mills High School's learning to an online environment in place of an in-person environment. Especially after winter break, from students of Mills that have presumably traveled intercity, interstate, and probably international, COVID risk is at an all-time high, and frankly, I think that it is ridiculous that school is still going to be open. The amount of contact that students have probably had around untested individuals, or even infected.

Texts have already been sent out from the school stating that 167 of the Mills population, among of is around 25 staff and personnel, have tested positive for COVID. How many of the rest of the population are positive without their knowledge? COVID-19 can often be found symptomless within infected hosts.

COVID tests have been handed out to all the students to perform on themselves at home, probably with the supervision of their parents. The "iHealth Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test" is, as it states, a COVID test meant to detect COVID rapidly. Consisting of a procedure that takes around 20 minutes to complete, again, I think that this is a very doubtful source on to base the foundation of our student's safety. There is much room for students, teenagers, to make mistakes on the COVID-19 test, whether it is through negligence or lack of care, even if it is within a parent's supervision. In short, the test results submitted could be false. This is not counting the fact that students or even parents could purposely lie about the results, for whatever personal reason that they may have. 

Frankly, even with all of the safety precautions that are said to be in place, and are instituted, I simply cannot trust the safety of my children in the hands of school officials and I am 100 percent sure that other parents agree with me. After all, high school teenagers are not quite the models for adhering to rules or keeping completely safe. Us parents are not asking for another extended period of quarantine and online school, as we are highly aware of how hard it is on the students. It is simply just necessary to have perhaps around a 2 month, 1 month, or even a few weeks worth quarantine period of online school to ensure that any possible infections are sufficiently quarantined and will not pose any further risks to the uninfected. I guarantee you, that if this is not implemented, there will be a high increase in infection rates. 

I am not a COVID expert but I do know enough to be very scared of it. Here is the biggest reason I'm scared: COVID can have lasting effects that can lead to different diseases and problems that persist after recuperating from COVID-19 within bodies of all ages. I truly hope that parents and officials will take this petition and what it is asking to do into serious consideration and effect. Thank you.