Last Tuesday Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical adviser, told PBS News hour that the United States has now moved onto a “controlled stage’ of the pandemic response. A “controlled stage” of a pandemic is when a disease or illness is “at a level that does not disrupt society,” Dr. Fauci said.

“We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase,” said Dr. Fauci. “We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase.”

This tells us that governmentally the United States has moved on from the protocols of lockdowns and mask mandates. But as we come closer and closer to summer break what will that mean for the average Smoky Hill student?

The largest change that most students will see is that most stores, shops, and businesses will continue to drop mask requirements. Many businesses have already dropped the requirement months ago.

Another change students may notice is the easing of mandates and requirements for air travel, with a recent overturning of mask mandates on mass transit and foreign countries easing covid restrictions.

One more thing that students may notice is going to be seen after the summer break and into the 2022-2023 school year, a further return to normality. As both the district and the world begin to ease back into more normal living.

Overall the future looks exciting for Smoky Students as after two years of lockdowns and masks there seems to be an end in sight, and it looks as if it’s right around the corner.