New Mask Mandate Ignores the Most Vulnerable [opinion]
By Melissa Menny
We are year two into the COVID-19 pandemic and much has changed. This includes loosening mask restrictions in many states including my home state of Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott announced on May 18 an executive order that prohibits government entities, including public schools, from mandating mask wearing. Public schools may proceed with the current guidelines until June 4. Following this date, schools will face a penalty, which would be a fine of up to $1,000. Note that many schools are expected to hold summer school, putting many teachers, surrounding staff, and students at risk — including my husband.
My husband has been working in education for eight years. Like many educators, this country has forced them to ride the frontlines of every threat, from campus mass shootings, where teachers saw little changes implemented to assure campus-wide safety, to a deadly pandemic. Amid all the lives lost, lawmakers and people of influence continued to push for schools to reopen. Upon doing so, many of them saw spikes in the spread of COVID-19 and had the tug of war between opening and closing their campuses regularly. This of course meant more fell ill and more lives were lost. Although a vaccine is being administered to whoever will take it, that does not mean that people are free from the virus entirely.
Reports have shown that two weeks after the second shot, a person should have developed immunity towards the virus. However, if a person catches it, early data suggests that it slows the possibility of spreading it, especially if no symptoms persist. Nonetheless, the fact still stands that a fully vaccinated person could in fact catch the virus and potentially pass it on. Those who have chosen to receive the vaccine are now encouraged to forego wearing masks in public spaces. This includes my husband if he so chooses, but summer school will not provide that choice.
Teachers are once again caught in the line of fire. The role of a teacher has evolved tremendously in the last fifteen years, forcing them to pretend to be superhuman. They are to conduct themselves in every scenario as if they do not have families of their own to think about. As honorable as that may be, it does not change the fear the families feel. The moment my husband was instructed to return to work physically, I was not okay. The fear of him being exposed to the virus was always in the back of my mind. However, at least I had a sense of small relief knowing that there were precautions in place and that he was able to wear his mask. As the new mandate approaches, it is pins and needles all over again.
We have a one-year-old who rushes to his father whenever he enters a room and another little one on the way. These new rules have made me nervous, to put it lightly. With so much still unknown, one thing is certain; a pregnant woman and a toddler are vulnerable at the expense of this irresponsible change, which is tone-deaf, to say the least. Reportedly 34.4% of the Texas population is fully vaccinated and although that number is expected to rise, it is not even half yet. To conclude that enough people are vaccinated to force government facilities to forego their mask mandate is irresponsible and insensitive. It should also still be a personal choice to wear the mask if an individual feels the most comfortable doing so. We have all seen the number of lives this pandemic has taken and the number of survivors who still have lasting effects. Even though fewer children have been infected by the virus, the fact still stands that they can be infected.
Although this new mandate has caused much panic, we are fighting to remain optimistic. We have not had to experience the virus up close and personally. We have had several family members who have fallen ill and thankfully they survived. The unpredictability of it all including the effects of the vaccines, who is the most vulnerable, and more has set many of us on edge. As a country, we have lost so much already and cannot afford to lose anymore. All we can hope for now is that citizens will do the humane thing and look out for one another by choosing to be responsible. My hope is people will continue to wash their hands and if they are not feeling great, stay home if possible, and keep a healthy distance. Families of those who are losing their choice to wear masks are counting on just that.
Melissa Menny is an author with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. She is a poet and a writer in all aspects. When she is not working, she enjoys painting, music, and spending time with her husband and son.
This originally appeared on COVID-19 Wall of Memories on May 26, 2021.
Featured photo by Usman Yousaf on Unsplash
