California, LA County School Mask Mandate To Be Lifted In 2 Weeks
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom Monday announced that the statewide school mask mandate will be lifted in about two weeks.
The governor announced that the statewide mask requirement for students and staff at K-12 schools and childcare facilities will be lifted beginning March 12.
"California continues to adjust our policies based on the latest data and science, applying what we've learned over the past two years to guide our response to the pandemic," Newsom said in a statement. "Masks are an effective tool to minimize the spread of the virus and future variants, especially when transmission rates are high. We cannot predict the future of the virus, but we are better prepared for it and will continue to take measures rooted in science to keep California moving forward."
Individual school districts and counties will still be allowed to maintain stricter requirements if they so choose.
The L.A. County Public Health Department said Monday they will align the county's school masking measures with the state come March 12.
"School districts may continue to require masking at schools and during school activities and are encouraged to consult with teachers, staff, parents and students as they consider the appropriate safety protections for their school community, recognizing that many individuals may want to continue additional protections," the department said in a statement.
The L.A. Unified School District, the second-largest in the nation, last week lifted outdoor mask requirements on its campuses. LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Monday issued a statement saying only that the district will "continue to consult with our medical director and health partners as we work to establish an updated mask policy."
Oregon and Washington state are also lifting their school mask mandates on March 12 as well.
Furthermore, Newsom also disclosed that, beginning Tuesday, unvaccinated individuals will no longer be required to wear masks in most indoor public settings.
Meanwhile, masks will continue to be required in healthcare settings, on public transportation, in airports, jails, homeless shelters and in nursing homes, whether people are vaccinated or not.
"I think we're all in pretty much agreement that it's appropriate to take masks off, and safe for a lot of people, it's really a question of, is it now, or is it in a couple of weeks," UC Berkeley infectious disease expert Dr. John Swartzberg told CBSLA.
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This all comes after California on Feb. 16 lifted mask requirements in most indoor public spaces – such as restaurants and retail stores -- for those who are vaccinated against COVID-19. Los Angeles County relaxed its own such restrictions on Friday.
However, at the time, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said that the state would keep the mask mandate in place in schools while the state reassessed the situation.
The school masking issue has been controversial across the board among parents, teachers and students. According to a recent poll by UC Berkeley, 60% of people supported the mask mandate in schools, while 37% disapproved.
"I don't think it's safe to life the mask mandate yet," said Sandra Lopez, whose 4-year-old son attends preschool at Sylmar Elementary. "He could get COVID anytime."
Lopez has two more children also under the age of five, making them ineligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. The union which represents LAUSD teachers sided with Lopez Monday, saying it was too early to remove masks.
"It is premature to discuss removing these health and safety measures while there are still many unvaccinated youth in our early education programs and schools," United Teachers of Los Angeles said in a statement.
Other parents, like Christina Estrada, supported the end of the mask mandate.
"I mean it's hot," Estrada said. "They learn better. They can pay attention so that they're fidgeting on their face. I'm happy if they get rid of the mask mandate at schools."
"I'm glad," said Garrett McGroarty, a student at Norco High School in the Inland Empire. "There have been a lot of protests lately. I'm glad they're getting rid of it. The kids that want to wear their masks still can."
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger suggested that individual school districts should be allowed to decide the mask guidelines.
"I think it's important to let them come up with guidelines that meet the need of their school district," Barger said. "No question about it. It's not going to be one-size-fits-all."
The superintendent of the Tehachapi Unified School District in Kern County announced that she would close all of her schools beginning Feb. 25 in response to the issue, and demanded that the governor allow parents to chose whether or not their child wears a mask in school.