Although the coronavirus crisis may feel like a worry of the past for some, students, staff, and faculty preparing for a new semester at Dallas College campuses are being asked to continue taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others against the spread of COVID-19.
In a college-wide email, Sharon Davis, chief business continuity officer, said Dallas College has seen “a small uptick in cases and questions.” Davis said the colleges’ current recommendations coincide with those of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes washing hands thoroughly and regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water throughout the day, maintaining a social distance of at least 6 feet, and staying at home to monitor health if symptoms begin to occur. Should a college employee or a student test positive for coronavirus, they are advised to adhere to the CDC Isolation and Precaution Guidelines. Davis noted that while masks may be worn “as a precaution,” they are not required on campus. While Dallas College opened to the public on June 1, 2021 with no mask mandate. However, by the beginning of the Fall semester, Dallas College had reinstated a mandate in order to comply with orders from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. Davis has assured that masks have been “recommended but not required” since April 8, 2022.
Taylor, a student at the Brookhaven campus, said that she “would understand” if a mask mandate was reimplemented “to look out for us.” Analle, another student at Brookhaven, said although she personally doesn’t like wearing one, she “wouldn’t mind” if the college required masks, for the sake of “preventing the spread [of coronavirus].”
Dallas County Health and Human Services is currently reporting “58 new cases” of COVID-19. According to Simone Carter of the Dallas Observer, Dr. Philip Huang, the director of the Dallas County Health Department, has described the number of cases as having “increased slightly but not significantly.” The Texas Department of State Health Services reported a “24% increase in cases for the week ending in Aug. 12,” as compared to the previous week. Texas public schools, including Dallas College, are no longer required to track or report positive cases of coronavirus.
