California leaving faculty masks mandate in place regardless of lifting indoor masks mandates elsewhere

California shouldn’t be lifting the state’s faculty masks mandate regardless of permitting vaccinated folks to go maskless in most indoor areas beginning Tuesday.

California Well being and Human Providers Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly made the announcement throughout a Monday afternoon information convention, throughout which he additionally mentioned that the college masks mandate and different COVID-19 protocols can be reassessed on Feb. 28.

Ghaly assured that the mandate for schoolchildren will finally be lifted, sustaining that “the query is when, not if.”

Efficient Tuesday, California’s masks mandate will probably be lifted for many indoor venues. Masks will nonetheless be required in faculties, in addition to on public transit, in well being care services and in airports.

Los Angeles County is sustaining its personal mandate impartial of the state laws, and will probably be requiring indoor masking for at the least a number of extra weeks, in line with the county’s Public Well being Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer.

BOWSER LIFTING DC MASK MANDATE FOR BARS, GYMS, CONCERTS, BUT NOT SCHOOLS

California’s coverage echoes that of Washington, D.C., the place Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced Monday that the town will carry its masks necessities for a lot of public venues, together with bars, eating places and faculties, however will preserve in place its masks mandates for schoolchildren.

Town’s vaccine mandate for indoor venues can even expire beginning Tuesday.

“Due to that diligence that now we have seen for the reason that top of omicron wave entered the district in December, circumstances have dropped greater than 90% and there was a 95% discount in hospitalizations,” Bowser mentioned. “We’re in a significantly better place now.”

Fox Information’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.