It has been 2 years since the Covid-19 Pandemic started. It started on December 12, 2019, when the first case of the covid-19 virus was reported in Wuhan, China. There is a total of 1.97 million reported cases and 27,876 reported deaths in Arizona, and a total of 415 million reported cases and 5.84 million reported deaths Worldwide, because of this, Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, is demanding action from Governor Doug Ducey to require mask mandates across the state to help prevent and slow the spread of the virus, and with the new Omicron virus spreading worldwide we need to be even more protected and making sure we wear mask correctly. correctly wearing a mask is covering your mouth and nose while in public.

“We need him to take directive actions to try to keep the community safe”, Steve Gallardo said. “If not, I think it’s up to the county board to take further steps”.

This gives us students, teachers, workers, etc more of a reason to wear a mask during a continuing pandemic. Here at La Joya Community High School, some students refuse to wear a mask because some students don’t believe that they should wear a mask. People around the world are confused by the fact that some people still refuse to take the vaccine and wear a mask when out in public; People are also worried about Covid-19 going into the 3rd year of the pandemic and are questioning whether wearing a mask daily is the new normal. People around the world are upset about the government not rolling out more vaccines around the world, especially places where it’s most needed, this creates a whole argument in whether the government is doing enough about the virus outbreak.

Covid-19 has a list of “Sub-Variants”. These sub-variants are also very dangerous because it can infect a host after being infected by Covid-19 or if recently had taken the vaccine. These variants are more likely to cause severe disease, a list of these sub-variants and the Delta Variant, and the Omicron Variant.

“Viruses constantly change through mutation and sometimes these mutations result in a new variant of the virus. Some variants emerge and disappear while others persist(cdc.gov).”

WHO, (World Health Organization), are tracking SARS-CoV-2 variant to identify and slow the spread of Covid-19, by helping slow the spread people can, get vaccinated and stay up to date on your Covid-19 vaccines, wear a well-fitted mask to help protect yourself and others, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces, test to prevent spread to others, stay 6 feet apart from others who don’t live with you, wash your hands often with soap and water, and use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available. We can still fight the spread of Covid-19 if we just do our part and stay safe during this pandemic.