The Hood College administration has lifted the campus-wide indoor mask mandate, effective 8 a.m. on Thursday.
All fully vaccinated and COVID-negative students, faculty and staff will be permitted to enter school buildings without a face covering. President Andrea Chapdelaine announced the change in an email on Wednesday.
As President Chapdelaine explained in her email, masks are still required indoors “in the Health and Counseling Center, by people with symptoms of illness, by people in days 6-10 following a positive COVID-19 test (after a five-day isolation), by people in days 1-10 after an exposure to someone with COVID-19, and individuals who are not up to date on their vaccines (not yet boosted or have a medical/spiritual exemption).”
Students have had varying responses to the announcement, with some excited and relieved while others are upset and concerned.
”Personally, I am really excited about it, I think it’s about time,” first-year Casey Chamberlain said. “With the high vaccination status of our entire campus, I think that we can be safe without wearing masks…I really hope that with the lifting of the mask that our numbers don’t go up to go and we can start to go back to living a somewhat normal life.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, senior Brandi Davidson said that she is disappointed by Hood’s decision to lift the mask mandate.
“It’s honestly kind of terrifying,” Davidson said. “The statistics are kind of skewed when you aren’t testing anybody. I’m immuno-compromised and I know people that have anxiety about COVID in general, I don’t think this was a good idea. Especially in a setting where everyone is in close contact with each other.”
Director of Wellness Amanda Dymek explained how the CDC’s recently updated metrics led the school’s COVID Emergency Response Team (CERT) to making the final decision.
“We’ve always said, even since the return in the fall, that once numbers of community transmission came down to the low or the moderate category that that was the time we would reconsider the mask mandate,” Dymek said. “What’s new is that Friday the CDC updated the metrics they use to calculate where a community falls. With that update, it moved Frederick County from substantial to a low category…We were waiting for that validation from the CDC, like we always have.”
Dymek said that there is a chance the mask mandate will be reinstated in the future.
“We might have to put masks back on,” Dymek said. “If we start to see an increase in cases on campus or in the Frederick community, that is something we will look back at and follow CDC guidelines for what is appropriate…We know there are people who are concerned, but we wanted to make sure that we were delivering on what we promised, that once we got to this place, masks would not be required.”
Senior Gavin Turowski said that he is concerned about the timing of the mask mandate being lifted. “Why lift the mandate a week before spring break?” Turowski asked. “People are going to bring COVID back with them when we leave in a week.”
First-year Zoe Carnegis falls in the category of those excited by the rule change. “It’s going to feel weird not having to wear face masks after two years, but I’m looking forward to getting to see people’s smiling faces,” Carnegis said.
Dymek said that it’s still important for students to continue practicing Hood’s other COVID policies.
“I cannot stress enough how important it is to be washing your hands, not sharing utensils or water bottles, that’s not just important for preventing COVID, that’s important for preventing the flu, a cold, mono, all of those things,” Dymek said. “If you are feeling sick, go ahead and put that mask back on.”
As more students reach booster eligibility, another booster clinic is scheduled for March 7, from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in Whitaker Campus Center.
“We’re going to have people who still wear masks all the time, and that’s OK,” Dymek said. “A big message from the President’s email was to not feel shame whether you choose to wear them or not wear them, and that’s what we want, individuals to make the decision for themselves.”
Delaney Crawford, Maddie Garvis and Tommy O’Neill contributed to the story.
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