By Alexys DeMaria
As the surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant wanes, several states have begun to lift mask mandates, some including schools in these decisions.
New York is the latest to lift part of its indoor mask mandate, joining New Jersey, Delaware, Oregon and California in recent actions to ease restrictions.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an ease of restrictions on Feb. 8. California will allow fully vaccinated individuals to be maskless indoors after Feb. 15, though students and unvaccinated people are still required to wear a mask.
The state will also loosen its definition of indoor and outdoor mega-events after Feb. 15.
“The state is continuing to work with education, public health and community leaders to update masking requirements at schools to adapt to changing conditions and ensure the safety of kids, teachers, and staff,” a press release from the California Department of Public Health stated.
Several days earlier, Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey announced on Feb. 7, will no longer require students and staff of New Jersey schools to wear masks. Murphy tweeted that he will lift the mandate exactly one month later, on March 7.
“Balancing public health with getting back to some semblance of normalcy is not easy,” he wrote in the post.
After Murphy’s announcement on Monday, the governors of Connecticut, Delaware and Oregon also announced their states’ in-school mask mandates would soon end.
Connecticut will permit students and staff members to stop wearing masks no later than Feb. 28; Delaware and Oregon will end its mandates by March 31.
In an interview with NBC Chicago on Feb. 4, three days before Murphy’s announcement, Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized the importance of masking in schoolchildren, citing it as an essential rule to a “multi-layered” approach to keeping schools open.
“So before we start talking about pulling back on them, let’s get the dynamic of the virus in the community low enough so that we can feel safe in pulling back on the requirement for children to wear masks,” he said.
Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) junior Olivia Grammas prefers the use of masks, when asked about the idea of masking becoming optional at schools.
“I personally would keep my mask on all the time, if not more [if] other people around me are not wearing masks because I don’t trust that they are being safe,” she said.
Grammas felt as if her stance reflects a majority of FVHS students.
“I would prefer if they also kept their masks on not only because it’s a good idea for their personal health, but also mine,” Grammas said.
