Coronavirus is a respiratory illness that is spread from person to person. More commonly known as COVID-19, which broken down stands for CO- corona VI- virus, D for disease and 19 because the first known recorded case was traced back to November of 2019.

According to CDC.gov, there are 1,978,769 cases worldwide affecting all six inhabited continents spread throughout 210 countries/territories. Of those cases, there have been 125,196 deaths and 470,747 recoveries.

Out of the 612,380 confirmed cases in the United States, Minnesota has 1,695. The first case of COVID-19 in Minnesota was recorded on March 1. In Freeborn County, there are 22 confirmed cases. Minnesota’s governor Tim Walz has issued multiple executive orders in relation to COVID-19, including Executive Order 20-20 which orders Minnesotans to stay home except for exempted activities and work. The governor also ordered the closing of all schools in Minnesota until May 4.

“How is this affecting our students?” said ALHS principal Mark Grossklaus. “At my age, I can deal with the whole concept of ‘I don’t know what tomorrow brings’. That’s just life, but you guys [ALHS students] have such a structured life, generally. I keep feeling like there should be something else I can do and I’m really concerned about students more than anything,”

President Donald Trump’s guidelines for slowing the spread of the coronavirus can be found on whitehouse.gov or coronavirus.gov. Some guidelines include contacting your health provider if you feel sick or staying home if you are sick. If anyone in your family has contracted the virus, isolate your entire family. Do not go anywhere. If you are elderly or have any preexisting health conditions, stay home and away from people. 

“I think people are getting used to it [social distancing] like anything else,” said Grossklaus. “You get used to it over time.”

Albert Lea has set multiple things in place to help those in school and the community. Although schools are closed, lunch and breakfast are still being provided. Pre-packaged meals are provided Monday through Friday at schools, churches, The Rock and even the Albert Lea Family Y. Chromebooks and WiFi hotspots were distributed to families with students in need of distance learning. Schools counselors will still be available during distance learning and contact information can be found at alschools.org. 

“I think the school has done a good job so far,” said Micheal Davis Coordinator of Information for Technology. “ From the perspective of the technology department, it was a pretty big undertaking to get devices prepared for K-5 students to take home.  To be able to get that done in a little over a week’s time was impressive.”

Information about distance learning and how it works can be found on the school’s website. School counselors will still be available during distance learning and contact information can be found at alschools.org. 

“I think one of the positives is how everyone has come together,” said Grossklaus. “You look in the community in a lot of places and you see people putting hearts in the windows and a lot of people are trying to reach out and be supportive of their neighbors. We have seen a lot of positive things with people and I think that’s a good thing.”