- Mia Gutierrez and Sofia Cerna
Masks have taken over children’s, parent’s, teacher’s, and everybody else’s lives, as we have to wear them everywhere we go. Whether it’s in school, going shopping, or traveling, wearing masks has become a part of our daily lives. Governments worldwide have approached Covid-19 differently with mask mandates, some are requiring it for the whole country or state, whereas others are making it optional.
When the pandemic started, the world shut down with the requirement of masks, but as we approach 2022, several states in the U.S. such as Florida, Texas, and Georgia have reduced masking requirements. Other countries outside the United States such as Nicaragua, do not require masks, however, they are mandatory for all school districts as well as most places in the capital city of Managua..
Masks are still required in schools. The head of the American Nicaraguan school, Preston Emerton, stated that, “The school is doing everything they can to keep all students in school rather than online and in order to do so, the use of masks, regular temperature checks, and cleaning areas is highly important and widely used at the school.”
All schools around Managua are following the same guidelines and restrictions. A student named Diego Sacasa said, “I don’t like masks and I think they should be banned.” More than half of the students attending ANS have stated that they dislike wearing masks and they don’t believe it is making any positive impacts to the school, however, other students believe that the use of masks is important in order to keep everyone in school.
On the other hand, schools worldwide like those in Florida have started to lift the mask mandates. Schools like Lake Mary High School and The Lake Mary Preparatory School, for example, have both made it optional for their students to wear masks. The protocols certain schools follow depend on the area they are in, vaccination rates, and the rates of Covid.
As we approach the end of this school year, several students including Mia Gutierrez, Harry Downing, Cayman Emerton, and many other high school students wonder, “Do we have to wear masks next year.” This is an ongoing question that even the school administration continues to question, however, everything depends on the state of Covid, locally and worldwide.
They are hoping that in the next year or two, masks will become optional to students not only attending ANS, but also schools around Managua. Overall, there are numerous factors that contribute to the ways schools approach mask mandates and the safety of their students.
