California’s indoor mask mandate for most public spaces will end this week for vaccinated individuals after a drop in the number of Covid-19 cases statewide.
But face coverings are still required inside the state’s TK-12 schools until at least Feb. 28, according to a top public health official.
“On February 28, we anticipate being able to share what the next period of time will look like and, with some specificity, give a date when the masking requirement will move to a recommendation,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services Secretary, stated during a Feb. 14 news conference.
When it comes to school settings, Dr. Ghaly said officials will take the next two weeks to assess data and look at the trajectory of coronavirus cases, positivity rates, pediatric and adult hospitalizations and vaccination rates. Dr. Ghaly said they are not setting any specific threshold that needs to be met to relax Covid-19 protocols.
“Today, a change isn’t being made, but in two weeks, confirming that the data continues to be where it is, taking the time to prepare and work with the school community and communities at large, that we anticipate making the change at that point. And that change is going to be one that I think will be met with a lot of excitement in some and a lot of fear in other circles,” Dr. Ghaly said.
Local school districts and health agencies will be able to keep stricter protocols even if the mask mandate is lifted.
Just hours after Dr. Ghaly’s news conference, the Los Alamitos Unified School District emailed families.
“We recognize this news may be frustrating to parents and staff who were expecting the [California Department of Public Health] to announce a definitive timeline today for when the state will permit the easing of indoor school masking requirements,” Superintendent Dr. Andrew Pulver stated in the message emailed to families Monday evening.
Last week, Dr. Pulver joined other Orange County superintendents in sending a letter to state officials asking for a clear timeline for easing Covid-19 protocols like masking in schools.
In Monday’s email message, Dr. Pulver said local superintendents are working with Orange County public health officials “advocating the state and the California Department of Public Health take direct steps in easing school-based mask requirements and other protocols.”
Masks have been a staple of the state’s multi-layered approach to reducing transmission of Covid-19 on TK-12 campuses since in-person instruction resumed during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Other measures include vaccinations, improving ventilation and a heightened focus on hand-washing.
Optional outdoors (although some districts are requiring students to wear masks outdoors) The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend universal masking indoors at schools.
“With lower vaccination rates among students compared to the general population, masking remains an important measure needed to provide a safe environment for all students, especially students who are vulnerable or at high risk,” reads a Feb. 10 press release from the Orange County Health Care Agency.
Some parents, especially those with immunocompromised family members, have backed face coverings for students and staff. Other parents have expressed concerns about the impact of long-term masking for children in regards to students’ communication and social and emotional development, specifically in reading facial expressions.
Some states have issued bans on masks in schools. Meanwhile, other states like New Jersey, Delaware and Massachusetts recently outlined plans to phase out their mask mandates for schools.
Now that masks won’t be required for vaccinated people in most of California’s indoor public places, some are asking why students won’t be allowed the same option at school.
Many people fumed on social media after seeing elected officials and celebrities unmasked at this weekend’s Super Bowl, despite rules at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium requiring face coverings.
An Instagram account with 238 followers called LosAlParentsUnited encouraged parents to send their kids to school unmasked on Feb. 15. It’s not clear how many families did that but a post promoting “Los Alamitos Goes Maskless” had 110 likes as of Monday night.
Asked what would happen to students who showed up and refused to wear a face covering without an exemption, Dr. Pulver stated: “We will provide outdoor space for them.”
Pulver noted Los Alamitos USD is required to follow CDPH requirements for schools and cited a OCHCA press release stating “schools must continue to follow universal masking directives or face legal and financial risk.”
Despite that reality, a school board in Roseville recently voted to defy state guidance to make masks optional for its district students.
Dr. Pulver stressed that the Los Alamitos USD will work to keep everyone informed of any changes. “We know this is urgent and on the minds of our families,” he wrote in a text message.
“Masking requirements were never put in place to be there forever,” Dr. Ghaly said at Monday’s press conference. “It’s not a question of if; it’s a question of when.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom sounded a similar message last week. “We are in the process of transforming our public education system and moving out of this pandemic mindset, and that includes masks,” Newsom told NBC Bay Area on Feb. 11.