Berkeley County schools are in desperate need of a mask mandate. As of 8/25/21 there have been 572 student cases, and 76 staff cases (according to the BCSD covid dashboard). This is only the 2nd week of school. The numbers will only go up and sooner or later someone will be hospitalized or end up dead.

     Masks have been proven by scientists and doctors to help the fight against Covid. So I find it irresponsible to not enforce a mask mandate. It’s been said before that your biggest concern is the health and safety of the students, so show it. Show the students and families that you care about their lives, by trying to protect them. And this is exactly what a mask mandate will do.

     To the people who are against a mask mandate because it is an infringement of your freedom I have to ask, what about school is not? Students are told where they sit, when they eat, when they can use the restroom. But you have no issues with this. So why are masks any different? 
  
     So why not try masks? No one wants to go back to virtual learning so why are we not trying everything we can to avoid it? We can enforce a mask mandate until the end of the semester, and see if we can slow the spread. This is a simple answer to a big problem. So I just ask you, please help protect us students.