Many people have been pretending COVID never existed ever since the mask mandate was lifted in Sedgwick County on March 24.

For some people, that’s just a fantasy but for others, they are forced to face reality. Cases are still increasing daily; nurses and doctors are still working day and night in overcrowded hospitals because of Covid-19.

On Monday, there were 2,676 new cases in Kansas with a daily average of 1,214 cases per day. Many schools and events are not taking any precautions for Covid or trying to educate people on the risks.

Over the weekend, hundreds of people attended Old Settlers, a fair in Mulvane. Visitors did not wear masks or social distance and were shoulder-to-shoulder waiting in line to get on the Tilt-a-Whirl or Squirrel Cages. 

Schools are just as guilty for the increasing cases there are by failing to enforce mask mandates or social distancing in any classes or hallways. A single case of Covid at the school could cause a super-spreading event. 

Not even 60% of Kansas citizens are vaccinated. Schools have become a toxic environment for people still cautious about Covid.

Even with vaccines being free and easy to get, some are still hesitant to get it. They think that they know better than scientists and the vaccine will cause more harm to them than good for others. 

Students refuse to wear a mask and even make fun of others who do wear masks.

Even if some are trying to do their best to stop the spread of Covid, many students don’t believe in the vaccine and simply don’t want to wear their masks.

These few months during the beginning of school could be pivotal in how the rest of the year goes.

The state government and schools seem to not care about students’ health, and these actions could cause another global lockdown with hundreds of students’ lives being risked. The government’s inadequate handling of the Delta variant and Covid at the beginning of this school year is dangerous for everyone.