As a VA employee, I have done everything that I was supposed to do throughout the pandemic...wore my mask, stayed away from people when possible, got vaccinated...but now that we are finally seeing this become endemic, the state is not doing its part to help people who are suffering mentally and emotionally. There was a time for masks, but that is over. This mandate is ridiculous and seems like a last bit of control for VA to hang on to.  We can no longer force the students to wear masks, but we can force the teachers.  Really?