Proposed Changes to Musical Mask Policy Endanger Performers
In a joint statement from California, Oregon, and Washington’s governors, it was announced that after 11:59 p.m. on March 11, 2022, masks will no longer be required in schools throughout the aforementioned states. As of right now, Contra Costa has yet to put out a statement regarding the mask policies for the district.
Of course, the decision to drop the mask mandate was made in the face of declining case rates and hospitalizations. But that doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. Experts still hold that it is way too early to make such drastic changes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, masks should be mandated in places where the case rate is higher than 50 cases per 100,000 people, or the testing positivity rate exceeds 8%. As of February 28, Contra Costa County has a testing positivity average of 9%.
States that have already implemented such policies have already started reporting spikes in cases. In Wyoming, the Laramie County School District reported nearly 400 students and 100 staff members tested positive between January 24 and February 4, mere weeks after the school board voted to end the mask mandate.
And with the Campolindo musical’s first showing occurring the night the mandate drops, it is evident that this change in policy is not the smartest idea.
Music has suffered under the pandemic, this much is true. Whether choral or instrumental, the mandates implemented state-wide have proven detrimental to the spread of music, because of their dangerous ability to spread COVID. But that doesn’t mean we should become complacent.
Musical season at Campolindo is infamous for the massive explosion of sickness that it causes. By the end of Campo’s rendition of Phantom of the Opera in 2019, both principal casts were brought to their knees by the same case of the flu. COVID is practically guaranteed to spread.
And while this variant of corona now has relatively low hospitalization rates, no one is equipped to predict the features of the next variant. “It is true that Omicron is not likely going to be the last variant we encounter, but there is no definitive way to predict what the next one be like,” said Priya Luthra, molecular virologist and scientific director of the Infectious Diseases Research Unit at GlaxoSmithKline.
Experts have already begun to warn us about the virulence of the strain.
But what about the musical? A study directed by Colorado State University found that singing (without a mask) produced 77% more aerosols than talking. Given the fact that COVID spreads through aerosols, the consequences of singing unmasked can be deadly.
Users of the neighborhood connectivity app, Nextdoor, will recognize the change.org petition going around, encouraging Campolindo to allow choir students to sing unmasked. “Let them sing,” the petition urges. What they fail to recognize is that the proposed changes in policy actively endanger members of their ensemble.
“If I get long COVID, I would most likely lose my ability to sing,” said 2020 Chamber Choir graduate Abby Rogers. “I really understand losing out on things. I fully lost the end of my senior year because we weren’t prepared for COVID, and I lost my freshman year of college, too. But I’ve missed a lot in my life because of my disabilities so it’s really hard for me to sympathize with people who are ignoring guidelines or writing new, more lenient guidelines against scientists’ warnings because that means they’ve decided their ability to go to a concert or hang out with people without a piece of fabric is more important than someone’s ability to go home to their dad, or hug their mom, or hang out with their sister with cancer, or go home to their dog. That, to me, is worth more than the struggle of trying to live, or sing, with a piece of cloth over my face.”
It is irresponsible to decide to be relaxed on COVID policy now, with the musical just around the corner. Certainly, masks during the production will make things harder, and will force the tech crew and cast alike to adapt to new circumstances. But it can be done.
And anyways, our duty as part of the musical is to spread joy and music. Not COVID-19.
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Cathy Kenderski • Mar 4, 2022 at 11:57 pm
Put simply, we can not do this forever. You can not, within reason, expect for choirs to mask indefinitely. 86.1% of Moraga citizens are vaccinated. We’ve seen a 26% drop in both new cases and hospitalization rates in Contra Costa within the last week, which, in conjunction with the fact that indoor sports have been allows to proceed unmasked for weeks (which, might I add, did not lead to the uptick in cases the article predicts, despite the activity producing ample aerosols), clearly indicate that the musical should not mandate mask wearing. The necessary precautions are being taken: members of the musical will, I’m sure, be expected to provide a negative COVID test before performing.
This article suffers from blatant manipulation of necessary contextual evidence. First of all, quoting your sibling in an article you are writing is not exactly the pinnacle of journalistic impartiality. Looking first at Laramie County, which the article cites as an example of increased COVID cases following mask removal, The NYT COVID tracker indicates that while 400 cases were reported between January 24 and February 4th, cases have continued to fall rapidly such that they have reached pre-mask mandate removal levels. Additionally, the usage of Contra Costa County data fails to take into account that Moraga is an COVID outlier in an already improving county: Moraga is the third safest city in Contra Costa County in terms of COVID cases, with 20 new cases in the last two weeks, a number that is smaller than the roster of every single choir on campus. The Claw can not, in good faith, argue that a hundred students performing unmasked will miraculously lead outrageous amounts of cases. With all that said, I hope you enjoy Cinderella. While I’m not performing in the musical, I’m looking forward to seeing an unmasked show.
V • Mar 7, 2022 at 9:23 pm
I understand that people are getting tired of restrictions. I am merely sharing my opinion as a disabled student, who does not have the luxury of dropping out of the musical despite my concerns. If you’re bothered by my sibling being quoted, I can interview other people who have the same opinions as me — hint, other disabled people who’s lives are endangered by this leniency. I would like to remind you that my opinion is not representative of The Claw as the whole, and I am not arguing that this is going to lead to a deadly amount of cases. I am simply arguing that I, as a disabled individual, am worried about how I, and other disabled individuals, will be affected.
Makayla Erickson • Mar 4, 2022 at 11:53 pm
this article operates under the assumption that we will throw caution to the wind. that we will force our audience to be unmasked. that we will spit in each others’ faces and burn our covid tests and forget that there is a pandemic going on. we haven’t forgotten. we are reminded of it every day, reminded of every single opportunity we have lost out on as we enter the third calendar year of mask-wearing and lockdowns and quarantines. but, as with everything in life, we are finding ways to adapt and move forward. we are conducting the unmasked rehearsals and performances as safely as positive, testing on a regular basis, and wearing masks when not performing. covid cases in lamorinda, contra costa county, and california have decreased dramatically since the omicron surge in early january. i have relatives across the country who have had the opportunity to perform maskless for months. no surge. no outbreak. no issues. is there some magical formula that makes our area particularly susceptible to covid? no. in proportion to population, california and texas have had virtually the same case rates (21.6 vs. 22.5 per 100k, over the course of the pandemic). their leniency shows the exact same results as our extreme restrictions and lockdowns did. so why, two years after the pandemic began, are we still enforcing these nonsensical rules on each other? why are we saying that performers in professional companies can perform unmasked (which arguable contain an older-skewing audience) and basketball teams and fans at campolindo and st. mary’s can forgo the masks, but not singers who, by basic human nature, need an unrestricted airflow and opened mouths to sing? if you still feel uncomfortable despite us taking increased measures to mitigate this minimal risk, then do more to protect yourself. it’s completely an option to double-mask, or bring hand sanitizer, or wear gloves, or keep socially distanced at every opportunity. and if, after all of this, you still feel unsafe, then don’t come. the show will be live-recorded and sent out to those who purchase a copy, so even if you do not feel safe to attend in person, you will still have the opportunity to see the show via a different avenue. mr. roberts, dave pinkham, mr. walker, and all other leadership have worked tirelessly to make sure that the theater program is considered among the sports programs who have been able to unmask since the start of the school year (and even before then). we are all trying. we have complied with these regulations for months. we have sung in isolation. we have held choir classes outside. we had a year without a musical. so please, let us have this one opportunity to smile. to perform. to SING.
V • Mar 7, 2022 at 9:19 pm
As I said under Ruby’s comment, I do not have the luxury of dropping the musical. And I’m not arguing that our district should be harsher on restrictions, but I am arguing that we shouldn’t suddenly be so lenient. Also, as per the basketball argument — practically the whole team caught covid, so I’m not sure what you’re arguing there.
Ruby Vanhouten • Mar 4, 2022 at 11:51 pm
No one is forced to do the musical, much less required to perform maskless. As a current performer in the Campo musical cast- a claim neither the author nor their sibling cited can make- I strongly believe that performing without masks is essential to the art form and to the students involved. Live musicals in SF, indoor sports, and literally our own school either have been without mandatory masks or will soon be. Why is the musical held to such a different standard? Furthermore, students are being tested regularly. And since N-95 masks (the only type of mask proven to be significantly protective) are not even required at our school, I don’t see how a cloth mask is such a sticking point. I truly appreciate your concern for safety, but it hurts to see the months and love and care everyone has poured into this production being overlooked at such a pivotal step in our lives.
V • Mar 7, 2022 at 9:16 pm
I may not be in choir, but I am in band. I understand that this has been horrible to the music department, but this is endangering people, like me, who don’t have the luxury of just dropping out. Currently, I am one of four tech students backstage, and the one with the most experience. And my sister not being in Campo choir changes nothing, she’s still IN choir lmao