Northwood High School had its first COVID-19 cluster amongst students in the marching band. According to CCS’ tracker dashboard, which is updated weekly, this particular cluster has eight total positive cases as of Oct. 31, five of which are from the previous week. The cluster forced the cancelation of the Corinth Holders High Competition that was to take place on Oct. 23. Junior Katelyn Griffin stayed home the week of Oct. 25 due to the outbreak.
“I did two rapid tests and one PCR [Polymerase Chain Reaction Test] and all of them were negative,” Griffin said. “I’m a little worried about the outbreak, but it seems like everyone is feeling better. My mom won’t let me go to school though because COVID is still spreading. She just wants to be careful.”
Senior band player Noah Vick tested positive for COVID. He and other students who tested positive were unable to perform in the last competition that the Marching Chargers attended, Cary Band Day.
“I feel like many people aren’t taking [COVID] as serious as it is,” Vick said. “I was lucky enough not to have bad symptoms. I only had a runny nose for a few days and I briefly lost my sense of smell and taste.”
The band has taken certain precautions in order to control the spread of COVID-19.
“We are using fabric bell conversion on our instruments to keep air from traveling out,” drum major Josh Freidman said. “We are trying to keep people from inhaling each other’s breath.”
Band members are trying to stay positive despite the current situation. At Cary Band Day, the Marching Chargers had something to celebrate–finishing off their season with a superior, the highest rating a high school band can receive from judges.
Photo credit Nan Freidman
