By Emma Reilly
Opinion Editor
Public attitudes about the COVID-19 pandemic are constantly shifting. This reality is evident at Washington College, where students and administrators are continually engaged in discourse about the College’s mask policies, contact tracing procedures, and event planning.
Similar conversations are occurring on the national stage, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States continues to fluctuate. New variants and spikes in case numbers are still encouraging policy adjustment as the pandemic enters its third calendar year.
While students’ feelings about COVID-19 policies at WC are largely driven by a desire to prioritize the health and safety of the campus community, they are complicated by pandemic fatigue.
This is also true beyond the reaches of our campus and state. Just as students are frustrated by the potential of having classes on Zoom again, so too is the wider public discouraged by the continued cancellation of large group events. Though people want to stay healthy and do what is right for their communities, they may also feel restless.
Frankly, we’re ready for the pandemic to be over.
The popularity of that exact sentiment is exemplified by our neighbors as seen in the slew of executive orders signed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Jan. 15, the day of his inauguration.
According to ABC, Youngkin signed an executive order to reverse the state’s mask mandate for schools, as well as an order to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for state employees.
These policy changes are startling, especially in light of concerns related to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. They aren’t surprising, however, as they reflect the platform on which Virginia’s constituents elected Youngkin.
According to Youngkin’s campaign website, he is promising to “restore [Virginia’s] high standards for schools and our students…and empower parents with real choices.”
Parental choice plays heavily into many people’s attitudes about masks in schools in 2022.
According to their website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “recommends universal indoor masking by all students…regardless of vaccination status.”
Despite this, many parents believe that at this point in the pandemic, it should be up to them whether their child wears a mask to school.
Youngkin’s disregard for the CDC’s recommendations and his emphasis on parental choice are only part of a widespread push to resist the pandemic’s encroachment onto daily life. It seems that the public’s desire to get “back to normal” has begun to outweigh their desire to preserve health and safety.
The reality of this growing sentiment is further revealed by the lawsuits Youngkin’s orders faced. One example is the 7 school boards in Virginia who filed a lawsuit against Youngkin’s reversal of mask mandates in schools.
According to insideNOVA, Arlington County Circuit Court Judge Louise DiMatteo ruled in favor of the schools on Feb. 4, blocking Youngkin’s order from taking immediate effect.
Youngkin’s executive order does not adhere to the school masking guidelines put into place by Senate Bill 1303, which the governor does not have the power to overturn. Nevertheless, Youngkin was determined to push his order through.
Some Virginians’ desire to have mask mandates lifted in schools and vaccine requirements eradicated for state employees puts students, teachers, and families at risk. It reveals how Americans are feeling about the pandemic in 2022: resistant, combative, and weary.
According to The New York Times, this sentiment is spreading — New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy plans to lift the state’s school mask mandate in March.
Despite our frustrations that the COVID-19 pandemic is still going on — and despite our desires to move on from it — we must prioritize communal participation in efforts to preserve safety both nationwide and at WC.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Featured Photo Caption: Va. Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order to reverse the state’s mask mandate for schools.