The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 27

March 23, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 10 Before the world shut down last March, I was an avid traveler. I would book a round trip flight to New Jersey for a wedding, and months later, plan a weekend getaway to Chicago to see my best friend. Living 20 minutes from the airport and in a busy light pattern, I maintain my status as a person who is no stranger to air travel. However, as the virus closed the world down and travel bans were set in place, it was evident that no one would be boarding an airplane anytime soon. Fast forward to present day and air travel isn’t as obsolete as one would think, despite the case numbers across the globe. Airline stocks in the U.S. are rising as airports begin to see travelers again. While airlines mostly saw influxes of travelers around the holidays, trends are showing that travel may resume full time by summer when most Americans are vaccinated. It is believed people will gain a sense of confidence. According to the CDC, 37 million Americans have already completed their vaccinations, but with 290 million others not fully vaccinated, I don’t know how confident we should be just yet to hop aboard a plane. Regardless of this rise in air travel, I believe people should not be traveling at this time. Hello? There is still a global pandemic in our midst. For over a year now, I have been in my home, keeping limited contact with others and staying far away from public places. Now, in some cases, I understand the need to take a plane ride somewhere, despite the health crisis. A loved one may be sick, a person may need to visit someone not reachable online. It may be the only logical mode of travel. However, with that said, I will judge It’sbeenover ayear sinceCOVID-19 touched U.S. soil and, honestly, things have not improved much since the pandemic started. COVID-19 cases have been skyrocketing ever since with little dips in the number of cases. As of March 18, there have been 60,000 new cases per day on average. Since then, scientists have created a vaccine that so far only 8% of people have fully taken. These notions just prove that there’s still a lot of work to be done if we all want life to go back to normal. Also, it just shocks me that Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott lifted statewide mask mandates when they are very much needed at this moment. Obviously, the biggest thing preventing COVID-19 numbers from getting even higher are enforcing and following mask mandates. So, without them, there will be some people that won’t wear masks and will risk getting the virus and giving it to others. Since the state of Texas will not have mask mandates anymore, cases will most likely go up even more. Seeing videos of people storming into groceries without masks because they claim it’s their “human right” to go into a store scares me, to say the least. We are in the middle of a pandemic and the only reason for wearing masks is to protect us from getting a literal virus. There was no need to make wearing a mask political when it was simply implemented to stop the spread of a virus. At this point in time, it’s way too early to be lifting mask mandates. We are still at the peak of the pandemic, and it’s dangerous to just allow people to leave their homes with no facial coverings. I long to go out into the world without fear of contracting this virus, but this longing seems to be so far out of reach. If more state governors follow the lead of Texas before things get exponentially better, I truly cannot tell when this whole thing will be over. Siena Berardi Sports Editor Water Your Thoughts? We need mask mandates you if you went to Cabo for the weekend “just for fun” or if you spent the weekend in NYC because it was your cousin’s bachelorette party. Yes, some people may be less at risk than others, but that doesn’t mean we should be trying our luck. Any ounce of fun I could have while not following CDC guidelines would just turn into guilt. While U.S. air travel continues to rise back up to its normal level, I will continue to remain on the ground. I don’t feel bad for any airline company losing money because an influx of travel can only mean an influx in COVID-19 cases. The U.S. will probably have cases of COVID-19 for years to come, or at least until more people get vaccinated. I hope our leaders will look to the protocols of other countries and continue to pursue vaccination efforts. Opinions Jaden Wilson Contributing Writer Question: How has the pandemic impacted your relationships with your friends and family? Responses: 62% said I’ve had a positive impact on my relationships because of the pandemic. 38% said I’ve had a negative impact on my relationships because of the pandemic. “I’ve been spending a lot more time with my family. My brother and I have been doing a lot of bike rides together, and we’ve gotten a lot closer because of it. As for my friends, we’ve all found creative ways to hang out together… I’ve gotten a lot of them into fitness and going to the gym. [Since] we have a garage gym, we all workout together,” said Cameron Pritchett, sophomore management major. Shark Speak How has the pandemic impacted your relationships with your friends and family? Rise in U.S. air travel With permission to print from S. Berardi