W.I.S.T. TIMES Government relaxes mask mandates on school campuses

By Lucas Lin Editor-in-Chief

On March 5, mask mandates on school campuses across Taiwan were relaxed, allowing students to decide whether or not to wear face masks in the classroom. Nation-wide mandatory mask regulations had been in place for over 800 days in schools at all levels, from kindergarten to elementary schools, junior to senior high schools, as well as cram schools and after-school institutions. With the continued decline in COVID-19 cases and the ready availability of medical supplies, face masks, although still mandatory on school buses and on-campus health centers, became optional for students at schools and universities.

“Under the lifting of the mask mandate, students have the freedom to continue wearing face masks or taking them off on school campuses,” said Yi-Chun Lo, head of the Central Epidemic Command

Center (CECC). “Our evaluation indicated that the relaxation of prevention measures will not lead to a significant rise in COVID-19 cases.”

Despite the updated guidelines for the mask mandate, most students on the Washington campus choose to keep their masks on in the classroom. Parents, teachers and students still maintain social distancing protocols out of fear of the possibility of infection. It may take some time for teachers and students to feel accustomed to not wearing masks in school.

“Masks have become the norm in the classroom and most students are afraid to take them off because they want to protect themselves,” said Ann Liou, 11-1 homeroom teacher. “There is also a group dynamic involved as most students prefer to wear masks when peers do so as well.”

For some students, on the other hand, the easing of mask restrictions has provided relief to the daily source of discomfort associated with wearing face masks.

Mask-wearing for a sustained period can cause slurred speech, sweating and difficulty breathing, making communication harder and less eloquent.

“Wearing masks all the time in school has been a nuisance for me as I often feel uncomfortable when I speak in class or with my friends and I get warnings when I accidentally forget to wear them,” said

Sean Hsieh, Grade 12. “Now that I have the freedom not to wear masks, it has been more convenient.”

As mask wearing has become a part of everyday life in school for the past two years, students and teachers will have to adjust to the loosening of restrictions and learn to feel comfortable again without masks.