As COVID-19 cases increase once again, the conversation around lockdowns and mask mandates accelerates, showing the rising concern about its reinvigoration.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped reporting new COVID cases in early May of this year, but the growing number of hospital admissions points to a resurgence in cases.
According to the CDC, there were about 6,314 new hospital admissions during the week ending on June 24 and about 20,538 new hospital admissions during the week ending on Sep. 9, which is approximately a 30.7 percent increase in new hospital admissions.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Aug. 2023 tracking report showed less than 200 new hospital admissions for the week ending on June 24 whereas the week ending on Sep. 2 showed over 500 new hospital admissions. However, during this time last year, the number of new hospitalizations in Pennsylvania was more than double what they are now.
Sean Dougherty, a video production major from Trevose said “I’m not too concerned about it[covid cases]. We learned how to handle Covid once, we can do it again.”
Yusuf Bektas, an 18-year-old engineering major from Levittown shared similar sentiments, “I’m not that concerned, but still a little bit. It’s still a deadly disease, but we have a better understanding of it now, and how to prevent it and how to take care of it if we happen to get it.”
Many notable online conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones have made claims that Covid lockdowns would be happening soon, but the CDC has since refuted those claims.
When asked if a lockdown seems reasonable, Dougherty said “I don’t think a lockdown is necessary. I thought it was weird that we just tried to hide from Covid from the comfort of our homes.”
Numerous hospitals across the United States such as the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Auburn Community Hospital in New York and Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center in California have reportedly reinstated mask mandates in their facilities.
“I think if we had to wear masks again I wouldn’t be surprised or concerned much because we are trying to prevent another quarantine so wearing masks becoming mandatory would be understandable,” George Keller, an 18-year-old chemical engineering major from Bensalem commented.
“If it (Covid) were to rise to a more dangerous degree then yeah I would think they (masks) are necessary in order to not spread germs,” Dougherty stated.
Several schools have also issued temporary mask mandates after an increase in Covid cases. Morris Brown College in Atlanta had a temporary mask mandate during the first few weeks of the new semester which has since been lifted.
Bucks had a group to address the health and safety concerns during the pandemic called the “Green Team,” which recently reconvened on Sep. 21 to assess the rising COVID cases.
After the meeting, the Bucks Associate Provost and Accreditation Liaison Officer Dr. Kelly Kelleway said, “As of now, the college will continue with its current stance of encouraging students and employees to stay home if sick and to follow the CDC guidelines in terms of testing and masking.” In other words, Bucks currently doesn’t have any plans to make masks mandatory.
“Certainly if the situation changes for the worse, the group will meet again to ensure we look after the health and well-being of everyone in our college community,” Provost Kelleway continued.
If anybody were to need a Covid test, the Office of Security and Safety has a limited amount and Founders Hall 112 has a supply of masks for those who want any.