Yes, I think that masking is more important now than it was last year, considering the lack of caution at large social gatherings or everyday activities.

Most would like to assume that the worst of the pandemic is over, but there have been spikes in cases. The rapidness in which the delta variant is spreading has shown weakness in the current masking policies and vaccine protection. It changes the outlook for hope in the pandemic actually ending anytime soon.

In late June, the average of reported cases was around 12,000 in the United States. By July 27, the average of reported cases was 60,000. Now, there is an average of over 100,000.

Research is continuing to be done but one fact that emerged with the delta variant is that it’s more infectious than the first strains of COVID-19. As stated by the CDC, delta is currently the predominant variant of the virus in the United States. The symptoms of delta are very similar to Covid-19, although, researchers found that it has been getting people sick a lot quicker and it grows far more rapidly than the original virus and reaches your respiratory tract much faster.

Furthermore, with researchers showing that it is affecting younger people more often, masks are more important in schools now more than they were before.

Last year we were adjusted to only being in school with half of our class and the cases were still rising pretty fast. If there is a more advanced form of COVID, that is more infectious with all of us in school without masks, the cases are more likely to spike far higher than last time. We should keep masking. 

– Sieara Jamgochian

No, Fargo Public Schools should not continue mandating masks for everyone. FPS is requiring all students and staff to wear a mask at all times while in the building. This new rule applies to all people in the building, regardless of vaccination status.

But there are still activities and classes that cannot be done while wearing a mask, such as eating lunch in a crowded cafeteria and music classes, specifically band. Both of these activities cannot be done with a mask on. This contradicts the whole point of masking, especially in bigger schools. Because of this, the school cannot fully prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the delta and mu variants.

The only way to stop the spread completely is to require all students to remain distanced in the cafeteria or to eat their lunch elsewhere.

West Fargo has a masking policy that encourages but doesn’t enforce masking. A large majority of their students, staff, and visitors are not wearing masks in their school.

West Fargo Public Schools only had a positive transmission rate of 0.18% as of August 31, which comes out to be around 22 positive cases. Fargo Public Schools on the other hand have a transmission rate of 0.38% and have had 39 positive cases as of September 10.

Because of this information, the mask mandate for schools should be left up to the people’s personal choice and not be a rule forced on everyone to follow.

– Allison Klose