Students, faculty and visitors are still required to wear masks on campus.
Indiana’s statewide mask mandate ended on Tuesday, April 6. According to the state health agency, about 5.4 million Indiana residents are eligible to be vaccinated. The first Johnson & Johnson mass vaccination clinic took place at DePauw’s Lilly Center on Friday, April 2. More than 1850 people received the vaccine. The second mass vaccination clinic that was scheduled on Monday, April 19, will be postponed according to the email sent by covid19@depauw.com yesterday, April 13.
Junior Sahra Rahimi knows that the mask mandate has already ended. “I feel like it’s fine that a mask is not mandated anymore since more and more people are getting vaccinated,” Rahimi said.
However, she will still wear a mask now when she goes to a public place that is crowded. “Hopefully by the time I go home, when school is done next month, I would feel safer to not wear a mask in public,” Rhaimi said .
Rahimi was vaccinated on April 2. She says she would be fine not wearing a mask depending on the situation, when she is outside, not in a building.
“After COVID-19, I probably will not use a mask but I don’t know,” Rahimi said.
Senior Sophie Berman does not think the end of mask mandate is a great idea. “I know they probably did it because the vaccine is now more available, but doesn’t mean everyone has been vaccinated,” Berman said.
Berman also got vaccinated on April 2. She will still wear a mask when she is off campus. “There’s still a chance that people can spread the virus, so I just want to keep other people safe,” she said.
She thinks that masks can also keep her face extra warm, especially when it was cold outside. “I feel like when people aren’t seeing my whole face sometimes that’s a good thing. I can just mask my expressions,” Berman said.
After the COVID-19 pandemic totally ends, “I think I would probably wear a mask when I feel sick even if it’s not COVID-19,” Berman said.
Junior Mana Kunimatsu didn’t know the mask mandate ended on Tuesday, April 6. “I would rather they keep the policy,” she said.
She thinks there is always a risk of infecting each other. She says she will still wear a mask no matter what even when the COVID-19 situation is over. “I don’t want to get it,” Kunimatsu said.
She also thinks being a Japanese is a reason for her getting used to wearing a mask. “Like back in Japan too. I think we’re all used to wearing masks in winter and stuff,” Kunimatsu said.
