I remember being really impressed when I first came back to Virginia Tech this semester. If I am being completely honest, I was afraid that people wouldn’t comply with the social distancing and mask mandates. However, everywhere I went, everyone was wearing a mask, most of them correctly, not hanging out in large groups, using hand sanitizer, and overall, just being super vigilant. Even though I saw people being cautious, I found myself feeling nervous during the first weekend once school had started. But after I heard the school suspended 7 students for violating COVID-19 policies, I felt relieved again. Because it proved that the school was taking this seriously and taking action against those who did not comply.
As the semester continued, I would occasionally see someone not wearing a mask or a large group of people walking around together, but I wouldn’t be too concerned since everyone else was doing their part to keep themselves and others safe. However, more recently, I have started to see many people walking around campus not wearing a mask and groups of people hanging around, also not wearing masks.
I don’t want to sound like a Karen, but it is important to continue to abide by COVID-19 policies. Because like it or not, COVID-19 is not over and we cannot start acting like it is.
According to NBC News, there have been more than 9 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and more than 200,000 deaths.
I understand that at this point, we are all sick of COVID-19. Trust me, I am sick of it too. But if wearing a mask, social distancing, and staying within my pod will help bring COVID-19 to an end sooner, then I think that is well worth it. After all, it is not just myself I am putting at risk by not following these rules, but others as well.