Restricted Travel and Family Time During Coronavirus
Fredericton- As the number of Corona Virus cases skyrocket across the world, it is becoming more apparent than ever that the second wave is creeping up. One of the many casualties of Coronavirus this year has undoubtedly been the distance it has created between some families. Travel restrictions and two-week quarantines are taking united nations and separating them into quarantined bubbles like never before. With the news released earlier this year that Saint Thomas University was opting for a completely online approach to education this academic year, came a hard decision for students to make. Were they going to travel to study and reside near campus, or remain at home? Most students opted to stay home where they could manage their workload and family time more freely. However, for a select few, there was never a choice in the first place. While many students made a rush for the borders and airports in mid-March, many international students at Saint Thomas were unable to make it home before travel restrictions were implemented.
Fourth-year student Emilia Gutierrez, who is studying human rights, expressed the emotional hardships and physical stress Coronavirus has caused and continues to cause for her. “It definitely has an impact on international students in a different way than Canadians. I feel this because we don’t get to go home at all. Especially right now and a lot of us are going to have to stay here for Christmas.” For Emilia, her parents often travel between Ecuador for work, and Spain, where they are originally from. Her father’s job working in cocoa production has resulted in him having to travel a lot for business and move between houses. Due to the turmoil that coronavirus has created, it has become more difficult for her family to travel for work and has left them stuck in Ecuador since March.
Standing beside Emilia is Hannah Bustos, one of her best friends and a fellow fourth-year student at Saint Thomas. Hannah, who is also originally from Ecuador, has experienced many of the same troubles that Emilia has expressed come with being an international student during this pandemic. She explains how “It [The Distance] was hard for everyone I think, especially knowing our families are back there at home. Just knowing that maybe the chances of them getting COVID were higher than us being here is hard.” A common concern expressed by many international students is that same worry that their families back home will be more susceptible to contracting coronavirus. Canada’s swift response to the virus has resulted in it being one of the best-off countries in the world. In most cases, staying in Canada is the best option for a student’s physical and financial safety. Plane tickets are far too expensive and make travel even harder for those who are far from home. With CDC advisories telling people to refrain from travel for the holiday season, even thinking about going home is frowned upon.
As communities begin to experience these harsh effects of the second wave of Coronavirus, it becomes more disheartening for those students wishing to make it home for the holidays. Although travel is continuously being restricted, the hopes of seeing their families again aren’t getting any smaller. With the new year approaching and the talk of a vaccine rolling out next year, there is definitely going to be a continuous change for everyone to adapt to. With the new year comes new opportunities and new chances for international students to be reunited with their families once again.