Mask mandates have been lifted in Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, and more states have announced they will be following this trend. However, this decision is unwise because only around 21.3% of the U.S.’s population has been fully vaccinated. 

In addition, COVID-19 has not disappeared, as the United States still has around 68,404 new confirmed cases daily and thousands of cases are being reported in Georgia. 

 Lifting mask mandates right now will only further the spread of COVID-19 until the majority of the country is vaccinated, which cannot be expected for a while, as not every age group has been cleared to receive the vaccine. However, President Biden has announced that they are already ahead of schedule with vaccines and hopes that “all eligibility restrictions for vaccinations can be lifted by May 1.”

With this news, it is important for states to wait until statistics have been taken after summer. This will ensure the safety of their populations by waiting for the majority to be vaccinated to lift mask mandates. 

Kids are taking a risk everyday by attending school, and this risk would be amplified if masks were not mandatory. Not only would lifting mask mandates increase the risk of spreading COVID-19 , but it would also increase anxiety and fear in students concerned about their health. Roswell junior Phoebe Rathbun described how she wouldn’t feel safe coming to school if other students weren’t required to wear their mask. Listen to the full interview here: 

Interested in getting vaccinated? Find Out if you are eligible by visiting CDC