Mask mandate should be removed for vaccinated students
Staff writer Daniel Elabbasi says despite rising COVID numbers, now’s the time to drop the ARHS mask mandate.
January 16, 2022
Since the start of COVID-19, masks have been required indoors during school. However, it shouldn’t always have to be this way, and the time to remove masks is now.
Algonquin far surpasses the state’s requirements to remove masks, set by DESE (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). In order to lift the mask mandate, schools must reach a vaccination rate of at least 80%. Algonquin has a vaccination rate of 87.5% percent and has gotten approval from the state, yet masks are still required indoors for everyone.
It is understandable that some of us want to keep the mask requirement in place, since wearing masks can make people more comfortable when being in public. Many people fear getting COVID or passing it onto others. But even if the mandate is removed, anyone can continue to wear their mask if they prefer to.
Our protection comes from the COVID vaccine, not the mask mandate. Some may argue that without masks, the school community is in greater danger from COVID-19. However, it has been proven time and time again that the vaccines are extremely good at preventing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID. Since March 2021, COVID vaccines have been readily available, and deaths due to the virus have dropped significantly.
Perhaps the greatest fear with high schoolers getting COVID-19 is that we could pass it on to older, more vulnerable people. The availability of booster shots to people over the age of 65 is a huge factor in removing masks. Lab results from Moderna show that the booster shot increases effectiveness against the Omicron variant by 37 times. This is extremely important for senior citizens, as they are the most vulnerable group.
Average case counts are rising in Worcester county, but deaths are not. According to The New York Times’ COVID-19 statistics, daily cases rose 310% from Dec. 1, 2021 to Jan. 1, 2022. In this same time period, average daily deaths in Worcester County went from 2 to 5. As of now, if deaths remain low, then the current wave is not dangerous.
But really, why does it matter if we remove masks? Masks make it more difficult to communicate with teachers and classmates. All of us can relate to having to read people’s eyes, as well as mishearing what others say and misunderstanding facial expressions. Masks make it harder to learn in classes such as foreign language, since we can’t see the teacher’s mouth when they are showing us how to pronounce new words. In addition, masks make it harder to connect with others, and the masks themselves can be a distraction.
In the situation that masks are removed, it will be necessary to closely monitor all COVID-19 cases to make sure the mask mandate can stay lifted. The very effective pooled testing program in place makes this all possible.
As a school we have done everything we can to hinder COVID-19. The majority of us gotten vaccinated, didn’t go to full-time school for a year and were socially distanced. Now it’s time to return to a normal school experience, and remove our mask mandate.
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