Dyersburg State masking up again; students, faculty discuss
DYERSBURG, Tenn. — With the rise in COVID cases, Dyersburg State Community College decided it was time to mask up.
Students, faculty, and staff are now having to wear masks indoors on campus. DSCC President Karen Bower says each person will also have to go through a screening process before entering the building.
“It’s 13 questions asking the type of exposure they have had to someone and if they have any symptoms,” Bower said. “It is a set of screening questions that we got from the CDC.”
Bower says so far the college has only had a few COVID cases reported, and about four students that have been quarantined.
After the recent surge, they are hoping the mask policy will continue to help the numbers stay down.
“We got the word out again that things were getting worse. Unfortunately, hospitals are full and so we decided to emphasize it again,” Bower said.
Students at Dyersburg State say while it is not ideal to wear a mask, they know that this will keep them and everyone else safe.
“Definitely unexpected,” said nursing student Tamara Kizer. “We spent the entire summer semester without them, but I do feel like we have to take proper precautions to try to ensure safety with everyone being back on campus.”
“Personally I think it is to protect us from the virus itself, but I don’t personally like it,” said freshman Autumn Ogden. “It is harder to breathe in them, but I understand why they are doing it.”
Bowers says the mask policy will continue until COVID cases start to decrease in the state.
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