COVID-19 is looking very different on campus than it did last semester. The school was a lot stricter with COVID-19 testing this semester. Although the same restrictions were put in place when we all arrived back, that quickly changed after we got tested the second time. They pulled back some of the restrictions after the first week, but I feel like it was too soon. The restrictions should not be as loose as they are right now.

With the cafeterias being open for dine-in, this is a hot-spot for cases to spike. If the cafeterias only had carry-out, there would be less of a chance for an outbreak of the virus to occur. COVID-19 cases are slowly decreasing in Erie, but that does not mean that the cases here on campus will not. It is better to be safe than sorry since we are still amidst a global pandemic. Plus, with everyone traveling from different parts of the country, there is still a chance that the cases could increase when people are traveling home. Obviously, we are still allowed to travel outside of the gates as much as we want, but I still think that there should be limited travel. If you must go out, make sure you are being safe about it. I know we all want COVID-19 to be over, but if restrictions keep loosening, then everyone is going to become more and more careless.

It is better to get an early start in being safe than having to go all online for the second time. I know that policies with masks are strict but with the restrictions loosening, people can become careless and not wear them correctly. I hope that the mask policy is still as strict as it was in the beginning. It has been almost a year since the COVID-19 outbreak began, so there should not be any excuses about not wearing them. I am sure we all understand how annoying they are, but it really is not that hard to wear one. If you are going out, just put a mask on. If you are feeling any symptoms at all, then stay home. It really is better to be safe than sorry.

Another restriction that should be put back in place is that no more than 6 people can gather. There is a better chance of COVID-19 being passed from person to person when larger groups are hanging around each other. Keeping crowds small will be beneficial to everyone. The more people you are around, the more likely you are to get COVID-19. One person may have it and then pass it onto everyone else if you are in proximity of one another. Keeping groups of 6 people or less would definitely help spread the virus to less people; especially if the group consists of people who do not hangout together on a regular basis.