New reports are circulating that colleges and offices are starting to reinstate COVID mandates and contract tracing.
QUICK FACTS:
- Reports are circulating that universities and workplaces are now trying to reinstate COVID-19-related rules and contract tracing again.
- According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Morris Brown College, a black private liberal arts college has reportedly brought back the measures as part of a “precautionary step.”
- “Effective immediately, Morris Brown College has reinstated its COVID-19 mask mandate due to reports of positive cases among students in the Atlanta University Center,” the college wrote in an announcement to students.
- The university warned that social distancing, temperature checks, and having only small gatherings will be required for two weeks.
- In Los Angeles, entertainment group Lionsgate sent an email to staff asking them to wear masks on certain floors of its Santa Monica office.
- “Employees must wear a medical grade face covering (Surgical mask, KN95 or N95) when indoors,” the studio said. “This is except for when alone in an office with the door closed, actively eating, actively drinking at their desk or workstation, or if they are the only individual present in a large open workspace.”
- The move came after the Los Angeles Department of Health claimed there had been a “small” rise in COVID “indicators,” meaning cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
DOCTOR NICOLE SAPHIER ON REINSTATING MASKS MANDATES IN PUBLIC SPACES:
“Those don’t actually work as we’ve seen by many, many studies. But to actually say, you know, to wear masks again in the house and just being in public spaces, we have to move on,” Saphier said.
BACKGROUND:
- Earlier last week, a TSA official claimed the Biden administration was reportedly preparing to reinstate full COVID lockdowns, beginning with mask mandates for TSA and airport employees as early as mid-September.
- The high-level TSA official detailed a meeting where TSA managers were informed of new policies that would reemplement mask-wearing.
- These policies allegedly included reinstating the mask mandate for TSA and airport employees starting in mid-September.
- The official added that by mid-October, mask-wearing will be mandated for pilots, flight staff, passengers, and all airport workers.
- The World Health Organization classified the EG.5 coronavirus strain circulating in the United States and China as a “variant of interest” but stressed it did not seem to pose more of a threat to public health than other variants. Despite the message from WHO, some health experts are sounding the alarm.
- Last week, the WHO made a formal announcement, categorizing the BA.2.86 variant—a highly mutated variant—as a “variant under monitoring.”
