We live in a society where COVID has taken over our everyday lives and has impacted the way we are able to live. 

In Butte County there has been a spike of COVID cases over the past few weeks. There are currently 29,015 confirmed cases over the past year in our county. Chico has the most cases within that span of time, with 15,025 confirmed cases. 

This has led to Chico State having mandated the COVID-19 vaccine booster shot by Feb. 28 and will continue to enforce a mask mandate in campus buildings. 

Let’s break down this discussion. COVID has not just taken over my daily life, it has also impacted how I am able to cover games.

I am a sports reporter, a big thing that comes with being a sports reporter is being able to interact with the athletes, coaches, and fans. COVID has limited that and I have had to find different but safe ways to do that. 

Not being able to be as close to the action as I can has impacted how I present stories and limited the way I have been able to collect content for these stories.

According to the CDC, the vaccine helps prevent people from being hospitalized, but some people think vaccine mandates are suffocating. 

I understand both sides of the story, everything leans towards the idea that COVID vaccines are effective and help protect against this virus. 

We don’t live in metropolises like Los Angeles and New York where COVID has been spiking at an insane rate. However, these numbers raise concern. 

Chico is such a downtown-orientated town, Most large gatherings happen in downtown Chico because students, bars, restaurants and our university resides there. 

Leaving those cases to be just as harmful to our community in comparison.

I’m fully vaccinated because I want to ensure my family’s safety, and ultimately, because the vaccines have become needed to do everyday things. 

Everyone has different views and those views should be respected by the masses.

I think the vaccine is beneficial for ME, I am not speaking for anyone who is opposed to it or has different views on it. 

I just want everyone to be safe through this ongoing pandemic we are trying to fight. 

It doesn’t matter to me if you have it or not. COVID is real. It has taken the lives of people I know and has affected the lives of people I care about. Multiple friends and family members have been affected by this disease and frankly I am tired of seeing that. 

All I ask is for you all to be smart and safe during these times. 

If you decide to get the vaccine, cool. 

By the way, Chico State does offer the booster shot on Feb. 1-2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bell Memorial Union Auditorium, it will open for anyone over the age of 12. 

If you don’t decide to get the vaccine, cool. Just make sure you make the correct decision for yourself. 

Wildcats let’s have a safe and fun semester. We don’t know what the future holds, but let’s enjoy it as thoroughly as we can. 

Javier Hernandez can be reached at [email protected] and @jhm1226 on Twitter.