Masks will not be required in schools after March 11
Masks no longer required for unvaccinated workers indoors as of today
– After March 11, in schools and childcare facilities, masks will no longer be required, but will be “strongly recommended.” Starting Today, March 1, masks will no longer be required for unvaccinated workers indoors, consistent with updated public health guidance, but will be strongly recommended for all individuals in most indoor settings. Masks will still be required for everyone in high transmission settings like public transit, emergency shelters, health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and long-term care facilities.
Below is a statement from Governor Newsom on the schools’ mask mandate.
“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. 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.”
View the full press release here.
California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson released the following statement in response to the governor announcing the date to end mandatory masks in schools:
“California children have to wait two more weeks to finally be awarded the same freedoms that Gavin Newsom and his mask-less celebrity friends, Democrat allies and tens of thousands of Super Bowl attendees have enjoyed already. When it comes to our children, Newsom led from behind throughout the pandemic, bowing to the political power of the teachers unions. The impacts caused by his lack of courage and politically-calculated decisions kept California kids out of school longer than any other state and will be felt for years to come. I’m not sure whether to ask Newsom or the unions to respect parents’ rights to make decisions in the best interest of their children, but the school mask mandate should end today.”
Following the California Department of Public Health’s release of new indoor masking guidance, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that updates the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard in keeping with the current guidance. The order also extends the current Emergency Temporary Standard through May 5, 2022, to “ensure the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has time to review the new guidance in anticipation of the next readoption of the ETS.”
The text of the Governor’s executive order can be found here.
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