The statewide mask mandate for Louisiana has been lifted by Gov. Edwards. ULM has decided to keep the school wide mask mandate in place regardless. 

This is the best decision to keep ULM’s students, staff and faculty safe. 

As stated in an email from the Office of Marketing and Communitions, “Ouachita Parish remains an area of high transmission according to the latest CDC data.” 

The Office of the Governor also announced that CDC guidance still says everyone two years of age or older who is not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places.

 If you are fully vaccinated, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area with high transmission to maximize protection from the Delta variant. 

Because both the CDC and the governor’s office recommend the continuation of wearing masks, there is no harm in the continuation of our school’s mask mandate. 

Some may find this excessive because the school has already put into place many other safety precautions such as the vaccine mandate or weekly testing. 

While the number of  COVID cases might fall due to the increased number of vaccinations, we do not want to risk the chance of them rising again if we were to lift the mask mandate. 

I know that everyone is ready to be done with masks, but we need to continue to wear them until case numbers are at a safe and reasonable level.

ULM’s decision to stick with the campus mandate shows that our safety is their priority. 

There is a new Delta variant of COVID that might have already been introduced to campus.

According to CBS News, the new variant has been dubbed “Delta Plus” because it spreads faster than the original Delta variant. 

It has been recorded in eight U.S. states, but according to the World Health Organization, the vaccine is still effective in preventing the disease. 

However, masks are still recommended because of the speed in which the variant spreads. 

Though those who are vaccinated might not develop the disease as severely, there is great potential that they will still spread the disease to others.  

According to the CDC, the new Delta variant is more than two times as contagious as previous variants. With this new, more dangerous variant, it is now more important than ever to remain safe and cautious.