Photo: AFP
The mask mandate at California public schools put into place by Governor Newsom expires today.
Two weeks ago, state health officials said masks would no longer be mandatory in schools and childcare facilities -- and this weekend, those mandates were officially lifted.
State officials are still strongly recommending the use of masks, however, they are providing districts the choice to keep or remove the mandates in their local jurisdictions. Davis Joint Unified and Sacramento City School Districts are moving to keep their mandates in place until after spring breaks as protection in case of a surge after the holiday week. The latest figures for Sacramento show that the county has been staying under the thresholds for new cases and hospitalizations to enter the low community level, meaning Sacramento City Unified’s mask mandate could be lifted in as early as April.The Los Angeles Unified School District also said in a statement it will continue monitoring positivity rates and has not commit to lifting the mandate on March 12.
Safety policies -- including handwashing, social distancing and requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination -- remain in place to help prevent the spread of the virus.