Good for you to help out those kids. Hopefully the student from South Korea could come. :-)

What a shame! Students across the globe who won't be getting these great opportunities. I so value my summer in France chez famille Ernault, and that's 50 years ago.

I haven't understood your posts on this...with schools likely not to be in the building full time why would anyone be interested in "learning" here?! A HUGE part of their coming is to experience our culture, get to know students from other countries etc. There likely won't be ball games/dances/concert/parties/clubs all the pluses of school. I don't understand why this program wasn't scrapped first thing.

Parents in our district (Yes, Florida) had to choose between On site learning, E learning, and Virtual learning. Slightly less then 50% have chosen on site.

I imagine that schools will open for students, but will not stay open for more then a few weeks.

What would an exchange student do If your schools had to close? Stay at your home and take classes online?

I'm sorry about your Exchange Student Kathy...I have enjoyed reading your

past postings about them. We have had the highest outbreak yesterday, too,

and a lot of people seem to think that means...ok! off with the mask! SMH.

This is such a tough time for all. I'm sorry you and your exchange student don't get to have the experience.

My dd had made it to the interview process to visit Germany for a couple of weeks when they shut everything down in the spring. Not sure she will get another chance. School is a total crapshoot. As soon as something gets decided, another higher up decision gets made and it changes everything. Lots of stuff getting pushed back. I suspect we'll be going online.

All practical issues aside, I just feel so bad for students who won't get this opportunity; I know it is life changing from my own experiences.

I'm sorry that the virus is so bad for you and all of us. I hope that with the urgency of it the scientist will help us sooner than usual with a vaccine or at least with much more effective treatment.

Here in BC Canada we have seen an uptick for the 20 to 29 year olds. Particularly in interior BC where larger groups went to parties around Canada Day. I hope that for the young people to whom the message is being sent right now on social media that they hear it. I hope as Dr. Bonnie Henry says we can all be calm be kind be safe. I hope that soon the covid virus will be gone. Not likely but I still hope.

I'm still hoping, too, Yeonassky...but in my heart I almost feel like it will never

be over. We seem to gain an inch...and then lose a mile. Hang in there!

we only are a few months into this ... brace yourself for the long run. Research the Spanish flu of 1918 to the early 20s. life will change/evolve.

Arcy, they are kids and don't pay so much attention to world news. The kid from South Korea was messaging me this morning and I told him it wasn't looking good for the program. He was shocked when I told him most people here don't wear masks and that was part of the problem. He said every day the school system makes them do a self check for symptoms before they go to school. He doesn't understand why the U.S. doesn't have something similar.

I've been slowly getting ready for the kids to come, even though I really didn't think it was going to happen.

I've been thinking Asian people have every right to say "we told you so," in regards to mask-wearing, but I haven't heard anyone do so, much to their credit. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be so kind. To most people of the world, mask-wearing makes as much sense as eating daily.

I'm sorry your exchange students won't be able to come--I get the feeling you were really looking forward to it. I'm amazed that your son ok-ed having you take his belongings to him! I think we will still have some of our daughters' belongings, (one's much more so than the others',) when we leave this house someday! Most adult kids are living in small apartments and truly don't have room for anything extraneous. We also can't give them any large-ish objects as gifts.

Well, if nothing else, you get to have your house cleared up! That kind of pressure is the only thing that gets me to go through things, though my house isn't big enough to accommodate a lot of stuff.

I’m sorry this didn’t work out for your exchange students. Another disappointment to add to the growing list. Having hosted a Swedish student many years ago, I know how much many look forward to these opportunities.

Sjern, my son has almost no furniture. He does have a locked storage area off his little patio but when I mentioned putting his stuff in there he got offended that I would think he would put his precious books in there. 95% of the things we brought him were books. He still has a giant plastic tub of books in the closet. It wouldn't fit in my car. He declined all his old kitchen/cookware since he bought all new. I'll be donating some things to Goodwill. My son doesn't have an American table but bought a Japanese table, sits on the floor and is heated. My daughter and I were in so much pain by the time we left...A couple nights we sat and played Catan for hours. I could barely get up to get ready for bed, which was an air mattress. He is eventually going to get the seats that go with it and said it would be more comfortable, but I highly doubt it.

I am a little disappointed especially since my daughter is now moving to Rhode Island. I had been thinking up things we could do and social distance, mostly outdoorsy stuff. Oh, well....I was worried about them bringing home the virus from school, a little.

The exchange program has sent out emails saying they are cancelling the whole program this year. Not surprised. I actually read the email after the S. Korean kid who was supposed to come messaged me.

This too shall pass, but not any time soon, and no thanks to the lack of national leadership -- even now, five months into the pandemic. We may have a vaccine in a year, although it's looking more like a short-action one.

My go-to source, Dr. Michael Osterholm (U of MN), was interviewed on CNN this morning. When the hosts tried to compare to the polio vaccine as eliminating that, he called them on that, too. It's making a comeback in the world. I gathered it's due to the anti-vaccine knuckleheads.

I've read a few stories recently about polio returning in people who had it as young children. One man who was paralyzed from the waist had regained use of both legs, but now, in his 60's, has lost mobility in one leg.

Anyway...we may eventually be getting a Covid-19 'shot' annually, like the flu shot. This is because the antibodies against Covid-19 are so short-lasting. Kathy's exchanges can resume then.

It's a shame for all involved. The reverse is true too, many areas (like most of Europe) are barring entrance for Americans. We're out of control dangerous for them, though folks from some Third World countries that are better governed than the US are welcome.