The pandemic had put the education system to a standstill where new programs were introduced to make students embrace remote and digital learning.

The entire schooling system was disrupted where students couldn’t meet their friends or teachers and experience what schooling is supposed to mean, “fun.”

However, the vaccine drives across the country are giving parents, students, and teachers renewed confidence in embracing schooling like old times again.

The schools in NYC are all set to open doors to students who have been following shelter in place mandates. As a result, the city will soon witness a regular schooling system’s resuming, with distant learning coming to a temporary stop. But is this completely safe? 

Nobody is sure about taking school buses or gathering in groups at school. Many parents and teachers are worried about the safety of students. With the Delta variant raging across the country and vaccination rates lagging in many parts of the city, taking the school bus is still a nightmare. In such a situation, what can parents do? How will teachers and students get to school? With social-distancing rules still mandatory, how will buses accommodate so many students? Will commuting in an enclosed bus with strangers be safe?

With so many questions in your mind, you need to find safe transportation alternatives. At Carmel Limos, New York City, we care for students and teachers and helping bring back the schooling system once again. We’re all set to take up school duty in the coming days, which we’ll be discussing in this blog.

But before you read further, make sure you have installed the Carmel app on your mobile phone. If you’re a parent or a teacher, this will come in handy.

Most Schools in NYC are reopening!

As per the instructions of Mayor Bill de Blasio, 1800 public schools in NYC will open up for students on a full-time basis. Schools will remain open for 5-days a week, as usual. The immunocompromised students will only be the exceptions here. That means a large number of students will be going to schools in the coming days. We’re gearing up to cater to as many of these students as possible at Carmel Limousines. As many as three students can be transported in our cabs and more in our limos and larger vehicles.

Here is a note for parents. Carmel Limos will take care of the safety of your children with sully-sanitized cars, professional drivers for whom personal safety and that of your children comes first. Each Carmel Limos’ driver is trained according to the government’s health and safety rules and regulations. After completing each ride, they clean their cabs, especially the seats, doors, windows, and interiors of the vehicle. In addition, they keep a safe two-meters distance from your children and wear a mask at all times.

So, if parents are scared about children’s safety or can’t find a safe way to send them to school, you should download the Carmel Limos app now to book a cab at attractive discounts.

Know about Masks and Vaccinations 

Masks are mandatory in all schools. NYC has asserted that all students, teachers, and school staff will wear masks during and after school hours. Whether or not your children are vaccinated, this rule will apply to all. More than 60% of teachers in NYC have already been vaccinated to ensure they are protected when embarking on their return to school and for the safety of students and their loved ones. Now, that’s undoubtedly a sigh of relief for the parents.

Teachers also need to produce a certificate showing they’ve tested negative for all the variants of COVID-19 before they are called to the school. Teachers who don’t hold this certificate shall not join until they are tested negative for COVID-19. 

When it comes to students, 50% of students over the age of 12 have already been vaccinated, according to the latest city survey information. Alternatively, children under the age of 12 are not eligible for vaccination yet. They are most likely to get their vaccinations by next year. This requires parents to be extra cautious, especially when their children need to commute to school.

Also, the noteworthy thing is that upgraded ventilation systems across different schools in the city to improve air circulation and prevent any infections from spreading. So now, parents can rest assured that their children study in a safe environment. 

When it comes to Carmel Limos, our drivers are fully vaccinated and tested for COVID-19 regularly. In addition, they always carry additional masks with them and use hand sanitizers before they get behind the wheels (and even while they’re driving). As a result, they always ensure that they get your children to school sooner with more safety and no exposure to public places around the city.

Our vehicles are well-maintained, sanitized, and well-ventilated with top-notch air conditioning as well. You could book a four-seater SUV or a minibus based on your requirement through our app, and each one of them is well-equipped to prevent any COVID-19 infections. 

Questions on social distancing are still there! 

The questions and apprehensions on social distancing are still doing the rounds. This is because not all schools in NYC have enough room to accommodate students while maintaining the distance mandate. In addition, most schools in NYC are overcrowded, which means the threat of getting infected is pretty high. This calls for better planning in taking courses batchwise and only letting in students who have not been exposed to the virus.

However, the principals of these schools have reassured that they will try to maintain social distance through improved training and knowledge sharing. In addition, all the classrooms and the common areas in these schools will have complete social distancing rules imposed and surveillance done to the maximum possible extent. This can ensure a lesser burden on schooling staff and lesser concerns for parents.

Education officials are continuously working to resolve this issue. They are trying to develop a strategy for overcrowded schools to lessen the number of students for batch-wise classes. Some of the ideas that came up were using gyms, auditoriums, and other spaces as classrooms. That way, these schools can optimize the space and maintain social distancing as much as possible. Schools across the city are also embracing a hybrid education model.

In this model, students attend school two or three days a week and take up online classes the rest of the days.

However, one challenge that is bothering the principals is lunchtime. Children are habituated to eating lunch together. Teachers can’t think of a way to reduce crowding during this time. Also, this is when students won’t be able to wear masks which increases the risks of infection double-fold. As a result, many schools are allowing students to go for shorter lunch breaks in batches.

Carmel Limos New York has been awarded for its essential services, including delivering food packages around the city. Working parents can arrange for food to be delivered to their children at school through our app. We ensure that the packages are handled in a safe and contactless manner.

Everything about the Delta Variant 

With the new Delta variant spreading across the US currently, parents and teachers are more concerned with continuing physical schooling. However, NYC’s strategy in handling this COVID variant would be the same as the Alpha variant. The mayor is trying to reduce distance learning and put students back to their traditional method of learning. 

Parents and teachers are worried that this strategy of NYC can increase the risk level, and things could turn much worse. President Biden is also of the opinion that schools in the US should be opened this year. Many teachers were included in the mayor’s plan to ensure the safety of students.

Also, note that resuming the schools doesn’t come as an experiment from the city. The transmission rate for the Covid-19 virus was very low for the city schools earlier. This was when teachers and students were not even eligible for vaccination shots. That indeed instills some hope for us. 

Some details are yet to be finalized

Having said all that, everything has not been finalized yet. Talks of in-school testing are still going on. In case of any transmission, teachers and staff will be immediately quarantined. 

So, parents should hold on till they receive every information. Then again, worrying about children’s safety is fair. Getting your child to reach school during this pandemic is also a challenge in itself. You need a service like efficient cab services to ensure safe pick-up and drop. 

With Carmel Limos, you can expect the following services: 

● Minimum to zero contact driving. Our drivers are fully trained with the updated Covid-19 guidelines. They will maintain a safe distance from you and your children throughout the ride. We’re following a no-contact policy, and there should be minimum to no interaction between the riders and drivers. 

● The Carmel Limos cabs are thoroughly sanitized. Our drivers clean them after each drive. So if you’re traveling with your child, you’ll see how the drivers keep sanitizing their hands in-between to ensure safety. 

● We also recommend our riders avoid touching the cab surface. We expect each rider to follow Covid-19 guidelines so that they can stay safe. 

Parting Words 

Sending your kids back to school shouldn’t be stressful. With Carmel Limos, transporting them safely is always the top priority. Please download our app today to book for regular school drops and pick-ups. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our customer care team for more information.