Georgia college students and staff are mixed about masks on campuses

ATLANTA — Many colleges and universities around the state of Georgia are preparing to kick of their fall 2021 semester. Some private schools are requiring students to be vaccinated but all 26 schools under the University System of Georgia are not.

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Channel 2 reporter Elizabeth Rawlins spoke with some Georgia Tech students who were worried, but hopeful.

“Hopefully everyone will do their part and we will be fine,” said senior Emily Glatter.

“I am somewhat concerned,” said graduate student Ebenezer Arunkumar.

Right now, all public colleges can only recommend students and faculty wear masks and get vaccinated. However, some students and faculty around the state disagree. Two advocacy groups are petitioning the Board of Regents to change their guidelines and make it mandatory on all public campuses.

Rawlins spoke with Dr. Jill Penn, Co-President of United Campus Workers. Dr. Penn is an associate professor at Gwinnett Georgia College and says their petition has gotten over 800 signatures so far.

“We are very concerned about the safety of our campuses this fall,” said Dr. Jill Penn. “Last fall we had a mask mandate and this fall we have the Delta variant and no mask mandate.”

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And while they can’t make it mandatory, some public colleges are offering free on-site vaccinations and surveillance testing. Dr. Benjamin Holton, Sr. who is the Director of Georgia Tech’s Health Services told Rawlins, the University is one of the only public colleges in the state with an independent testing site.

“We are one of the few campuses that has and asymptomatic surveillance testing system,” said Dr. Holton. “It really has played a key role in controlling our outbreaks.”

Many Georgia Tech students will move back to campus this weekend before the fall semester begins on August 23. Some campuses have already opened back up and professors like Dr. Penn are concerned at what she’s seen so far.

“Many of my students are not wearing masks,” said Dr. Penn.

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Channel 2 Action News reached out to the University System of Georgia and Board of Regents for a statement. It said:

“The University System of Georgia recognizes COVID-19 vaccines offer safe, effective protection and urges all students, faculty, staff and visitors to get vaccinated either on campus or with a local provider. Additionally, everyone is encouraged to wear a mask or face covering while inside campus facilities. The system continues to work closely with the Georgia Department of Public Health to prioritize the health and safety of our campus communities.”

As COVID-19 cases rise in Georgia, more people dealing with long-term symptoms As the number of COVID-19 cases in Georgia continue to rise, so does the potential for more people to deal with “long COVID.”

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