Will The Mask Mandate Make a Return?

 Will the mask mandate return to Bakersfield California with high numbers? What will become of the world if this is one step closer to returning to quarantine? Will we have to protect ourselves from another virus heading our way? Jordan Pendenley Ridgeview’s school nurse says she, “has not heard of any possibility of the mask mandate returning”. 

 This may seem as a relief but, according to Pendeley during the fall we had quite a bit of positive tests for Covid-19 here on campus. These numbers have only gone down a small amount since then. For safety protocol Pendeley still advises students to, “Wash your hands, stay home when sick, cover your mouth when coughing and nose when sneezing”. Pendeley believes that masks shouldn’t be returning and especially not permanently, “ I can’t imagine that they will make us wear masks indefinitely”. 

There’s not a lot of social distancing now that we’ve overcome the pandemic but, with a mask mandate threat it can lead to social distancing again but Pendeley says otherwise. 

“I can’t imagine that they will ever make us go back to social distance,” says Pendeley. There’s still Covid-19 going around, as well as the flu virus and colds. Pendeley has not “knock on wood” catched any of these illnesses from students while tending to them.

 The mask mandate was definitely an era in our lives that most students won’t like to go back to. Masks were always on the floor making a mess on campus, there were complaints about how it affected our teenage skin, and especially the tan lines many of us had. 

 Although the masks caused us to break out and get a bad tan, Freshman Diego Lopez did not complain. “I wouldn’t mind”, said  Lopez if he were told the mask mandate was making a comeback. Lopez was toward the end of his sixth grade year when the mask mandate was beginning, and from his experience he, “prefers social distancing because I don’t have to go to school, and I still got sick when we had to wear masks”. Sophomore Dana Samarneh, unlike Lopez, very much minded the mask. “I’d be upset because the mask was uncomfortable, and during the summer I felt nasty because it makes your face breakout and it is harder to breathe, and the heat makes it ten times worse,” said Samarneh. 

When it comes to what type of virus we’re up against  Samarneh believes that, “masks only help to an extent”. Masks are supposed to protect us from viruses but, “I will not feel protected”, stated Samarneh when asked if she will feel more secure and protected from the virus if the mask mandate returns. Senior Kaitlyn Corral agrees with Samarneh when it comes to the extent of mask protection. “I think that if other viruses are similar and airborne like Covid it will help spreading but I don’t think it could prevent other viruses entirely,” said Corral. 

The three students including Pendeley don’t feel as if we need masks at the moment due to how low the Covid cases have gotten. “I don’t think I would feel more protected with bringing a mask mandate back because I don’t feel as if I am in a need to be protected right now”, says Corral. Although there is no confirmation of the mask mandate returning, being prepared for the possibility is always needed.