Atlanta College’s temporary COVID mask mandate has been lifted.

The Atlanta college that reinstated its mask mandate in August confirmed that it has ended the rule after two‍ weeks.

Morris Brown College, described as a historically black liberal arts college, stated in mid-August that⁢ it would reimpose mask mandates amid what it said was ⁣a rise in COVID-19 cases on campuses ⁤near where it’s ⁢located. That rule was scheduled to ⁣end on Sept. 3.

In a statement to Newsweek, college President Kevin James​ confirmed that the ‍rule had ended. However,⁤ the school will still “have several safety protocols in place,” he said.

Parties and large events will still be banned from the campus, the official said in a letter, according to the outlet.⁤ The letter states⁤ that employees and students‌ will have to undergo temperature checks⁣ before coming to the campus and maintain physical distancing, while people who test ‌positive for COVID-19 have to isolate for five⁣ days.

The college’s move to​ reinstate the mask mandate several weeks ago came as multiple hospitals around‌ the United States also ‌reinstated the rule, coming more than three years after the start of the pandemic in the United States. A number of people on social media, including former President Donald Trump ‌and others, criticized the decisions to reinstate mandates and said Americans shouldn’t comply if they’re broadly imposed again.

At the same​ time, some corporate media outlets interviewed doctors and health officials who suggested that Americans should start using masks again amid an uptick in COVID-19⁤ hospitalizations. However, the number of⁣ hospitalizations is still far lower than previous increases in COVID-19 cases over the past several years.

“Americans have had ‌enough COVID hysteria. We will not comply!” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wrote on ‍X, formerly known as Twitter, in August.

“Hear‌ these words: We will not comply. So don’t even think about it,” President Trump also said in​ a video, reacting to recent mandate reports. “We will not⁣ shut down our schools. We will not accept ⁣your lockdowns. We will not abide by your mask mandates ⁤and‌ we ⁤will not tolerate your vaccine mandates.”

Former⁢ Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate ⁣Kari Lake wrote “Amen, Mr. President. ‍WE WILL NOT ⁢COMPLY” in a response post on X.

A spokesperson for⁢ the Centers for Disease⁢ Control and Prevention told The‍ Epoch Times last week that currently, COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low in “97 percent ⁣of ⁢the country.” The agency also stated ​that it has had no⁣ talks about returning to mask-wearing.

Other​ Details

A former Trump official, Dr. Deborah⁢ Birx, who initially led the COVID-19 pandemic response for the federal government in 2020, suggested in ⁣an​ interview that mask mandates don’t‌ need to return.

“We don’t need to mandate,” Dr. Birx told⁤ Newsmax on Sept. 2. “We​ need to actually empower‌ people with the information that they need for themselves and their families because every family is different.

“And by the⁤ way, ‌outside is safe, and playgrounds are⁤ safe.”

Another former federal official involved⁤ in the response, Dr. Anthony