Even as the country changes masking requirements, Santa Monica College keeps its same guidelines.

On March 12, students and staff members at California schools were no longer required to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status, following California Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement on Feb. 28.

According to data published from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 17, L.A. County's COVID-19 cases at the community level officially dropped into the low category. CDC's data also states 71.2 percent of those in L.A. County are fully vaccinated, with 80.0 percent being 18 years or older.

Even as COVID-19 rates are beginning to decrease in L.A. County, fully vaccinated individuals are still expected to follow the COVID-19 safety guidelines listed by the CDC to protect those at higher risk.

In an email sent to Santa Monica College (SMC) students on March 8, students were notified of the school's plans moving forward with the masking regulations. Here are a couple of commonly asked questions regarding these policies.

What is the mask policy at SMC?

In an SMC Cares email, students were informed the Santa Monica College will require the use of masks until at least the end of the Spring 2022 semester. Masks should either be surgical or KN95 masks, and should be worn indoors. Unless you are at least six feet apart from others, masks should be worn outdoors as well.

Why is SMC still requiring the use of masks?

According to SMC Chief Police John Adams, there is still a need for masks. “Some of the reasons why we do the masking is not just because of ourselves, but because we’re around other people that could be more vulnerable when we go home…” said Chief Adams. “We want to make sure that we're not [just] safe for our students and staff effectively, but their families as well.”

How are students feeling about the mask policies at SMC?

A common hesitance shared by some students and staff members around lifting the mask mandate relates to the safety of themselves and their loved ones at home. Many individuals have expressed concerns about their families that are more susceptible to COVID-19 and possibly lifting the mask mandate at SMC only serves to heighten their worries.

"Oh yeah I'm really happy about it, because I see a lot of kids who don't wear mask so it makes me feel really safe" said SMC sophomore student Melenay Arguello.

When asked if she would feel comfortable if SMC lifted the mask mandate Arguello responded “No I wouldn’t want the mask mandate to be lifted because many don’t have the vaccine and a lot of my family are at high risk.”

Will I have to wear a mask next semester?

According to Chief Adams, the school faculty did plan to discuss policies moving forward. As of now, Chief Adams and other school faculty members are reviewing public health trends and masking guidelines for the Fall 2022 semester to determine the safest path for the SMC community.

To secure the safety of all students and staff, masking indoors currently is still strongly advised. For more information on how to stay safe at SMC during COVID-19 visit https://www.smc.edu/news/coronavirus/ or contact the SMC Health Center at 310-434-4262.

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