California's Mask Mandate Could End On June 15, Gov. Newsom Says
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Now boasting among the lowest case rates in the nation, California could ease up on its mask mandate by June 15.
Coronavirus case rates have been dropping throughout California, and just 11 counties remain in the red, or second most restrictive, tier of reopening. Newsom announced last month that if conditions continued to improve, that the state would be able to fully reopen on June 15, ending the tiered schedule of reopening with the mask mandate remaining in place.
On Wednesday, Newsom said the state may update the mask mandate in June as well, eliminating the need for them in most cases except for large, indoor gatherings.
"There will be guidelines and recommendations, but for indoor activities, but we hope, sooner than later, that those will be lifted as well," Newsom said at a news conference in Monterey.
The move comes as more Californians become fully vaccinated, and federal and public health officials have eased up on the guidance on wearing masks. The CDC's updated guidelines say that people can now go without masks outdoors because there is less risk of transmitting COVID-19 in the open air, and that fully vaccinated people should be safe to attend small indoor gatherings with other vaccinated people, or outdoors with a mixture of people.