When COVID-19 first started spreading, no one thought how badly the United States would be affected. The pandemic hit us heavy. It changed society as we know it for a year. Finally after a long time waiting for a glimmer of hope, it seems like it has finally arrived. On March 8th, 2021 the CDC came out with new guidelines for fully vaccinated people. 

The new guidelines include being able to host or visit other fully vaccinated people without having to wear a mask or social distance. That means that if a group of people is fully vaccinated, they can hang out without even having to wear their mask or social distance. People can start to resume normal activities, like hanging out with friends. 

Another new guideline is people who have b

een vaccinated but were in close contact with someone who had COVID-19 “should refrain” from COVID testing and going into quarantine. Meaning that if one had a positive exposure but they were vaccinated, they would not have to quarantine or test for COVID. 

After a spike in cases, Wesleyan has begun offering the vaccine to students. The entire student body received an EMO in which we could sign up to take the vaccine. The school was very proactive in regards to this, and a large portion of students decided to get vaccinated. This could mean that school might return to a new normal, and that the spread of COVID will slow down on campus. 

We still have to wear masks in public, however, now the COVID safety protocols could be lifted. When implementing the CDC guidelines into the school setting, we should not have to wear our masks when hanging out with other vaccinated friends, we should not have to wear masks when doing certain day to day activities. The best part is that the spread of COVID on campus will decrease drastically and that everyone can travel back home without having to quarantine. It will make next year a lot more enjoyable and seamless.