When will the global pandemic, which has turned so many people’s lives upside down, end? That question is a lot simpler to answer than it might seem. It is predicted that things will go back to normal when 75-80% of the U.S. population has been given the vaccine and is immune. This leads to another question: when will 75-80% of the U.S. population be vaccinated? To answer that, it is estimated that things will likely look normal again in time for 2022. This may seem like a while, but at the current pace the vaccines are being administered, it will take seven years for the entire world to receive the vaccine. However, as more vaccines are given and the COVID rates go down, restrictions will surely lift and give us a sense of normalcy.

When will schools, restaurants and other establishments be able to allow a larger capacity is another question that does not yet have a definitive answer. As of right now, Delaware restaurants have a capacity of only 60%, which leaves many of these businesses unable to profit for the foreseeable future. Schools and offices are working with limited capacities as well. Schools may not return to normal, operating as they had prior to the pandemic, for possibly over a year. However, as restrictions are lifted and schools begin to operate at full capacity, things may start to seem and feel normal once again. Moreover, essential businesses, which include supermarkets, police stations, and hospitals, have remained completely operational throughout the entire period. Offices and nonessential businesses have shut down throughout the pandemic, and still, many are not operating at full capacity.

All of this information may seem negative, and most of it is. However, with the arrival of the vaccine, cases have dropped significantly within the last few weeks. Since the vaccinations began on December 14, over 70 millions Americans have been vaccinated, which accounts for about 14.6% of the U.S. population. The government is currently issuing an average of over 1.5 million shots a day. Many of the citizens vaccinated are healthcare workers, elderly, or those who are more susceptible to COVID-19. It is estimated that around the end of May, every adult in the United States will be vaccinated. So, this gives us a light at the end of a dark tunnel that has taken over a year to travel through. With the vaccination of every adult, most people will be safe since children are less affected by COVID-19. Because of this progress we have made as a community, state, and country, we are taking large steps towards the direction of a pandemic-free world. After over a year of quarantining, social distancing, and mask-wearing, the end of the pandemic that has changed the lives of billions is now coming to an end.