State officials are backtracking after saying all students will be required to wear masks or risk being banned from school.
Earlier Monday, the California Department of Public Health published new school mandates that said students who didn’t wear the face coverings would have to be turned away and instead offered “alternative educational opportunities.” However a gubernatorial spokesperson said late Monday the state agency will clarify guidance to give school districts more freedom in masking instead.
The California Department of Health took to Twitter on Monday evening to signal a change of direction, saying, "California’s school guidance will be clarified regarding masking enforcement, recognizing local schools’ experience in keeping students and educators safe while ensuring schools fully reopen for in-person instruction."