COVID Restrictions Are Loosening Up Across the Country, UMD Shouldn’t Follow

The University should resist any pressure to loosen restrictions before the end of the spring semester (Wikimedia Commons)

There is an alarming new trend of states lifting their COVID-19 restrictions. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott suddenly reopened Texas last week, getting rid of the mask requirements and allowing businesses and facilities in the state to open at full capacity. Mississippi and West Virginia did the same soon after. Now, more than a dozen states are no longer requiring masks be worn by residents statewide, according to an ABC News report. While Maryland isn’t likely to follow suit, I would argue that the University of Maryland (UMD) shouldn’t enter new phases of the reopening plan until the end of the semester even if they do meet the requirements to do so.

Though currently at 27% capacity according to the university’s COVID-19 database, UMD is still where a lot of people from across the state come to learn and work. The actions of the university to respond to the pandemic will have a residual effect on the entire state. The number of positive COVID-19 cases on campus has been varied as of late. UMD was under a sequester-in-place for a week last week due to rising COVID cases. After the order was lifted, there has been a slight decrease in that number, according to the university’s COVID-19 database. Loosening the guidelines would only cause cases to rise, causing more largely avoidable disturbances to the lives of those who gather here. Changing restrictions again so late in the semester would make it that much harder for students, the Department of Residence Life staff, and university staff to readjust. Density at the university will be a lot lighter during the summer, so shifting phases then would make more sense.

The authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for public use and news that vaccines will be available to people by May is promising, but things could change quickly. That date could be pushed back at any time. It has before. The winter storm that delayed the distribution of 6 million vaccines in late February is just more proof of that. Until we get to that vaccination date, UMD should maintain its positive trajectory by maintaining the restrictions. At least until the end of the spring semester.

The pressure to reopen prematurely is strong, but the will to beat COVID-19 completely must be stronger.