On February 28th, 2022, Waterford High School lifted its mask mandates. This was a controversial decision. Some, like Gian Spera, a junior, say that he “loves it.” Some are unsure. Mrs Hartell, an English teacher, says that she is “happy to see her students’ faces,” but she is “still worried about another uptick in cases.” 

Another senior said that he thinks the lifting of the mask mandate is “highly irresponsible” and “endangers disabled people and immuno-compromised people.” 

According to the website Covid Act Now, on March 15th New London county had 13.3 new cases per 100,000 people. This may not seem like a lot, but is a bit concerning when compared to Hartford, which has only 5.6 cases per 100,000 people.

According to The Day, traces of Covid-19 are increasingly being found in wastewater all over the United States. Though this doesn’t tell us much about how many people have Covid, it can “indicate a rising number of infections…” 

On February 25th, Mr Hauser announced via email that mask mandates in Waterford High School would be lifted. Hauser announced that “Based on the state Department of Public Health and Department of Education’s updated guidelines, masks will be recommended, but no longer required in most school settings starting on Monday, Feb. 28.” He added at the end that “students will be reminded to respect and not judge their peers and their decisions to wear a mask or not.” 

What does all this mean for Waterford High School? It is unlikely that the mask mandate will be reinstated unless there is a massive resurgence of Covid cases. Some may think this is a good idea, though all the evidence suggests otherwise.