Schools: Back in the Purple Tier

We at Santa Barbara Unified felt a shock wave through our school system when we learned Monday morning that our county had reached the Purple Tier.

I was planning to see my family and friends and personally felt a huge sense of loss. I realized that this year I will be missing my parents, who are 80 and 84, my father-in-law who is 86 — all of whom are thankfully healthy. I will continue to miss my nephews and nieces who range in ages from 1-39. I will miss my two sisters and brother and my close knit-friend group who have a tradition of getting together for Friendsgiving. This year I can choose to forego these experiences and celebrate with my husband and sons as we await the promise of a vaccine.

We are back in the Purple Tier and facing a statewide mandatory curfew. The question we all want the answers to is: How did this happen when we all are doing our part? We saw the Isla Vista residents hold off on the annual Halloween party. Our most impacted group in the agricultural fields have lowered their rates significantly due to information outreach and support. Perhaps the question we are asking is the wrong one because we are dealing with an insidious virus that we are still learning about.