Neil Ahmed

Why Pennsylvania’s Department of Health and Penn State University’s COVID-19 policy should be on the same page

It has been several months since people began social distancing in Pennsylvania. It has been clear that to beat this pandemic of COVID-19, we must come together as a whole to keep our distance in order to stop the spread. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania’s Health Department and Pennsylvania’s State University are not on the same page. 

In early October, the state’s health department released guidelines and implemented rules that loosened restrictions on larger gatherings. Indoor and outdoor gatherings were increased in Pennsylvania to allow roughly 25% capacity at events. Unfortunately, this could lead to more cases of COVID-19 as the general population sees a spike in cases, or second wave of cases. 

The winter months tend to have the highest cases of the flu due to cold air, which lengthens a virus’ life. For students, Penn State University has taken many steps to limit the spread of COVID-19. Contradictory to Pennsylvania’s Health Department, Penn State University’s approach is to lengthen winter-break and cancel spring break. 

President Eric Barron said that this policy was put in place in early October for two main reasons. Firstly, this allows the flu season to pass with minimal students on campus, and secondly, canceling spring break cuts the possibility of college students spreading the virus. 

The State’s Health Department should take after President Barron, and limit the possibilities of virus transmission by enforcing rules that promote the safety of all individuals.