Topline
California will keep in place its mask mandate for school children for at least two more weeks even though the state’s indoor mask mandate for vaccinated Californians is set to expire Wednesday—making it one of the few states in the country still requiring masks for the young demographic.
Tustin, CA – August 11: Students listen to their teacher during their first day of transitional … [+]
Key Facts
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services Secretary, said in a briefing Monday the state “will today not make a change” when it comes to school masking, and will reassess the data in two weeks before reconsidering.
On Wednesday, the state’s indoor mask mandate for vaccinated Californians is set to expire, meaning they will not have to wear masks indoors in almost all public settings.
Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island recently set concrete dates to either end mask mandates in schools or transfer the decision over to school districts and local officials, leaving California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, New York and Washington as the only states still requiring them, along with Washington D.C.
Key Background
A record number of California children were hospitalized due to Covid-19 last month, but case rates have dipped significantly in the state since the height of the omicron-fueled surge in the winter. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said last week the state will begin outlining a new approach to the coronavirus as it potentially becomes endemic, meaning it exists in a community but is more manageable as immunity builds. Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor the World Health Organization have said the coronavirus has become endemic yet. The CDC says that while children are less likely to develop severe illness or die from Covid-19, they can still spread the disease even when they are asymptomatic.
Tangent
A bill proposed last month in the California senate would require all school children ages 5 and up to be vaccinated for Covid-19. Newsom has already implemented a mandate for children 12 and up, but it will not take effect until the Food and Drug Administration fully approves the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for the age group.
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/02/14/california-will-keep-school-mask-mandate-for-at-least-two-more-weeks—even-as-state-lifts-indoor-mandate/