California to end school mask mandate after March 11
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will no longer require students to wear masks indoors at schools in a few weeks.
Governor Gavin Newsom made the announcement Monday in a joint statement with Oregon and Washington.
Face coverings will be just a recommendation starting Tuesday in California, and the mask mandate will be lifted at schools starting March 12, regardless of vaccination status.
The announcement comes after California dropped its masked mandate for vaccinated people on February 15.
Masking will be “strongly recommended” for unvaccinated people at most indoor settings after Tuesday. Schools and childcare facilities will see the mandate end after March 11, according to the statement.
Central and South Coast school districts started reacting to the news Monday morning.
“This is a difficult issue with strongly held opinions on both sides, and I want to thank the many people who have reached out to me to share their views,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.
“Because the state made masks optional in most public places earlier this month, I believe it’s appropriate that the same rules apply at schools. We are entering a new phase of the pandemic, and I am happy to see schools taking another step toward returning to normal.”
Santa Barbara Unified School District said that it will continue to follow the guidance from the California Department of Public Health and will be lifting its mask mandate on March 14 – two days after the state said the masks can be dropped in schools.
"As we’ve stated all along, we trust the science and our statewide health experts to put the well-being of our children and staff at the forefront of every decision. We will begin to work with our schools to prepare ourselves for the change," said district spokesman Nick Masuda.
"As always, if a student or staff member feels safer with a mask on, we will continue to support their choice to do so."
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District said that it will need to wait for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to make a determination on the new masking guidance before the district can.
