Amid conversations to reopen schools nationwide, healthcare experts are desperately urging individuals to wear masks as the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the U.S. Failing to realize the severity of the situation some individuals, including parents, are eager to send their children to schools without protective gear amid increasing cases of COVID-19. Sending children to schools without protective gear or masks imposes a higher risk already present with mandates to wear masks. While masks significantly reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, they do not guarantee protection from exposure to the virus.
As students prepare for college admissions and other exams, such as the ACT, testing centers for these exams have implemented some safety measures including requiring desks to be positioned six feet part in addition to requiring staff members to wear masks— but this alone cannot stop the spread. In such small spaces where students sit together for hours, with or without masks a risk still remains and two students in Oklahoma are proof of just that.
Two students tested positive for COVID-19 one day after taking the ACT at an Oklahoma high school, CNN reported. The students took the exam on July 18 exposing not only those in the room taking the exam with them but 200 other students in the facility. "Upon learning of these positive tests, the school immediately contacted local public health officials, notified ACT, and we have informed all students and test monitors in attendance that day," Tarah DeSousa, the spokesperson, told CNN.
"As part of ACT's test center social distancing guidelines, students and monitors were asked to complete a series of COVID-19 symptom and travel screening questions, instructed to practice social distancing guidelines while on campus, and it was recommended that masks be worn by all." While staff members were required to wear masks, students are only required to wear masks if local mandates require so. This allows students who are potentially carrying the virus to have a greater chance to infect others and puts the health of hundreds at higher risk especially if proctors are not as cautious.
Parents, students, and test administrators all received emails from ACT officials alerting them of the situation on Sunday, including those who spent time between 15 minutes to hours with the infected students. Seat assignments allowed for ACT officials to contact the parents of children in the presence of these students for multiple hours during the exam. As test centers fail to adequately respond to the pandemic, students not only have to worry about doing well on their exams but contracting coronavirus as well.
One high school student, who tested at a facility that has not reported any positive cases of the virus, told CNN that he is observing quarantine because he is afraid he may have been exposed and does not want to potentially infect others who are more vulnerable. Frederick DeCoster told the news outlet that during his exam he was placed in a room with about 16 students, only one of which was wearing a mask.
"The proctor waited to ask us if anyone tested positive for Covid or came in contact with someone who tested positive after we were already sitting grouped together," DeCoster told CNN. "Almost no one was wearing a mask, even the proctor was constantly taking it off. I didn't feel safe. Then there was a kid sitting behind me sneezing, coughing hard, breathing really heavily. If you were to describe someone with coronavirus showing all the symptoms, it would be this guy. I was really worried."
According to CNN, this isn’t the first set of criticism ACT officials experienced this weekend. While some parents considered the announcement a blessing in disguise, 1,400 students showed up to testing locations Saturday without being alerted exams were canceled. For a student to contract the deadly coronavirus from a testing facility is not only unfortunate but at the fault of ACT officials who failed to implement safety regulations and protocol. While students should not be coming to facilities if they have been exposed to COVID-19, testing facilities also have the responsibility to ensure the safety of students if they decide to remain open.
Thousands of students and parents are coming together in efforts to protest the implementation of college standardized testing, including the SAT and ACT, during the novel coronavirus. Students have expressed not only a lack of concentration due to the stress of contracting the virus but the advantages privileged students have over others. In addition to the costs of tests, many students have to travel and incur other costs of taking tests in different locations amid the pandemic.
"Many students don't have the chance to take off work or travel to take the ACT," DeCoster said. "I'm lucky to be able to study and then travel to retake the test, but in doing so, me and my family's health has been put at risk because they ignored all screening and mask guidelines."