It has been nearly two years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit America, and many people are ready to venture back into society. Parties, family reunions, dates and even events as mundane as grabbing coffee with friends haven’t taken place since the beginning of the pandemic, at least not without face masks and the ritualistic dousing of hand sanitizer. After many tedious months of the monotonous new “normal,” people are more eager than ever to seize the opportunity and make up for the lack of excitement.
One type of event that many have missed are live concerts. While some are excited to experience live events again, others worry live concerts aren’t safe, especially because of the new rise in COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant. People may not be vaccinated or wearing masks, which could lead to infections. Even so, many others believe that with the drop in cases due to the rise in vaccination rates, there shouldn’t be an issue concerning live concerts at all. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend masking and distancing outdoors in crowded spaces, as well as vaccinations for attendees of large gatherings.
Students and staffulty at Aragon have opinions on the matter.
“If there are vaccination requirements and people are following guidelines with masks and everything, I’d be pretty comfortable [going to concerts],” said senior Stephanus Yang. “I’d probably just wear … [a] mask and make sure I’m associating with people I can trust.”
“If we take the proper precautions, we can meet safely”
However, some students question the efficacy of mask mandates, especially in regards to large outdoor events.
“People aren’t very careful nowadays with mask regulations,” said sophomore Alysia Evans Asano. “You can definitely have your mask off when you’re outdoors, but there is a recommendation of having masks on nowadays. I don’t want to catch COVID-19 in case it spreads to my family.”
Despite higher vaccination rates, the delta variant has shown to cause breakthrough infections in some cases. As a result, vaccinations may not completely soothe fears of contracting COVID-19 at large events.
“The primary concern would be potential breakthrough infections,” said junior Joseph Neamati. “I’ve been vaccinated for a while now, but there’s obviously still always a chance, and I wouldn’t want to risk my family getting infected or myself getting infected for that matter.”
However, some people do feel comfortable attending concerts.
“I myself am vaccinated and we are taking protocols that seem to be working,” said Aragon choir pianist Manu Petaia. “If we take the proper precautions, we can meet safely.”
Engaging in events with people who take similar precautions allows for all parties involved to safely engage in activities with a lower risk.
“Just being with people that I know [and] not interacting with too many strangers if I don’t know who they’ve talked to [makes me feel safer],” said senior Elysa Hernandez.
“I normally try to keep my distance from most people when I go outside in public”
Despite the fact that CDC guidelines require less physical distancing, some students may prefer to maintain more distance.
“I normally try to keep my distance from most people when I go outside in public,” said freshman Alex Acosta. “I also tend to wear my mask a lot, and I don’t really remove it unless I’m outside by myself.”
Given that the right precautions are taken, people can ensure their safety at concerts while also having a good time. Concerts and other events give people incentive to get vaccinated and to be protected against COVID-19.
