UGA students debate COVID-19 safety before the first day of class

Shira Alperin is afraid to attend the first day of class Thursday at the University of Georgia. The 18-year-old freshman said the crowds of unmasked students she photographed Monday have left her nervous about setting foot in a classroom or a dining hall.

"When you walk around campus, most of the kids are not wearing masks and they are not social distancing. I mean if the policy is to wear masks around campus, I thought kids would adhere to it and they're not and there's no one saying you should wear a mask," the Sandy Springs native told FOX 5's Portia Bruner.

But Freshman Owen Warden has had a different experience in the days since he moved in this week.

"Of course, you're gonna get a few outliers but, it's been really good. Everyone in buildings is wearing them. I haven't been too nervous. I mean you can never be super confident with a virus like this, but I think they are doing a really good job making sure things stay as safe as possible," said Warden.

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(Courtesy: Shira Alperin)

UGA officials have made a big push on social media urging students to wear masks and remain physically distant to avoid transmission of the potentially deadly virus. They issued a statement to FOX 5 indicating they have implemented the mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing requirements, and surveillance testing and intensified cleaning and disinfecting, but Shira is still uncomfortable based on what she photographed. When asked what she would say to UGA administrators, she said,

"Protect your kids. You're housing us. This is supposed to be our home away from home, keep us safe, please."

(Courtesy: Shira Alperin)

The University of Georgia issued the following statement:

“In preparation for the start of the semester, we have implemented a comprehensive series of initiatives to protect the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students. These measures include mandatory face coverings (which were provided by UGA), social distancing requirements, surveillance testing, a notification system and wellness check, intensified cleaning and disinfecting procedures, hand sanitizer and wipe stations across campus buildings, and a summer-long awareness campaign of the new procedures, among many other measures. Our primary commitment has been and remains the health and safety of our faculty, staff and students.”

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(Courtesy: Shira Alperin)