It has been almost two years since the world shut down as a result of COVID-19. Biola students, as well as students around the world, faced dramatic changes as they returned after spring break for a seemingly normal few days before being sent back home to avoid getting sick. The continual adaptation in life, from mandates to closures, proved difficult for every person. 

Fast forward two years and Biola’s campus has slowly returned to pre-pandemic days. According to Biola’s email statement on March 4, students may choose whether or not to wear masks indoors. 

Lifting the mask restrictions brought a sigh of relief for many students. Although some may still feel apprehensive about the change of policy, for others it signals a return to the days of seeing each others’ smiles before COVID-19 changed the world.

L.A. COUNTY’S NUMBER DROP 

Due to the decrease of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, local health officials as well as Cal-OSHA eased mask and vaccine mandates for the county.  As of March 7, there were 1,382 cases of COVID-19 reported in L.A. County. This steady decline sparked the decision to relax policies across Southern California—including at Biola University. 

California is one of the last remaining states to enforce mask mandates, NBC News reports, along with Illinois, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and New Mexico.

SEEING SMILES

As a senior with a few remaining weeks on campus, it is encouraging to see a return to normal the past few months. Although the COVID-19 pandemic stole over a year of our in-person college experience, it is a blessing to have it back again. 

Hesitation over the mask rollbacks is understandable. After almost two years of relying on masks for safety from the virus, stripping them away now may seem too soon. However, now people finally have the freedom to choose to wear their masks or to hang them up.