Masking Up Again

Masking+Up+Again

Juliette Viera

After the news in early March came out about the mask mandate lifting in schools here in New Jersey, alumni and staff members were able to roam the halls maskless by choice. After a time we’ve seen more and more students uncovering their faces and getting back into the norm that we’ve left in 2019. It was safe to say that the era of the pandemic could have come to an end. However, Covid cases began to rise again as new variants are exposed and allergy season is springing. The recent increase of Covid cases has sprung to 208 cases per 7-day average in NJ. Students and guardians were informed that the mask mandate will be resuming over the weekend following the first days of May. Now students will have to remember once again to carry a mask with them when admitted into the school building. 

So far as we know, the mask mandate will be put in place until May 8th. However, it’s highly doubted that the effect will remain this way. Many local shops, as well as public district transportation, are highly encouraging the use of masks inside closed spaces in order to reduce contamination of Covid-19. 

With spring just starting to come to full effect, the weather is getting warmer and students are burning out. A few students have shared their concerns over the heat becoming a disturbance saying “During the winter, the masks honestly helped but with the heat getting worse every day my mask has started to feel suffocating.” 

Additional masks have and will be provided at the door of the building when entering. It is the responsibility of our alumni to cover both mouth and nose in order for the masks to take effect. KHS staff members have been taking extra precautions into making sure the masks stay on throughout the entire school day. We were all taken back by the announcements this morning affirming this, I know. 

Here at Kearny High School, we do all we can to keep our students and staff members safe and healthy with the help of protective masks, vaccinations, the absence of crowding, etc. Hopefully, this wave of Covid cases comes to an incline and our students go back to choosing whether or not they want to keep the masks. Stay safe and happy spring!