Tomorrow marks a major pandemic milestone: California will lift the mandatory use of masks in the classroom.
The decision, made jointly with Oregon and Washington, means that students in the Golden State will be able to attend classes without masks for the first time since the Covid-19 shutdown began two years ago. The mandate will be lifted after 23:59 on Friday.
But as is often the case with Covid-19 regulations, the reality is not so black and white.
By lifting the statewide requirement, California officials have allowed counties, districts, and even individual schools to maintain mask-wearing requirements if they so choose. In recent weeks, the number of new cases of coronavirus in California has dropped sharply, but there are still regions where the number of infections has not changed or is growing.
So far, most school officials have decided to follow the state’s lead and will not require masks after Friday. Some areas, especially in rural areas, have already ignored the requirement to wear masks.
But several districts have decided not to let students and teachers go without masks for now. Some have announced that they will instead do so next month or reassess at a later date.
So the kids at your neighborhood school may still be wearing masks in their class for the foreseeable future.
Here are some of these districts (in order of enrollment):
Los Angeles United: Officials who oversee the county, the largest in the state and second largest in the nation, are still deciding whether to lift the indoor mask mandate. As of Wednesday, it looks like the requirement will remain in effect after this week.
San Diego United: Students and staff will be allowed on campus without masks starting April 4 when they return from spring break, the district’s website said.
San Francisco unified: The district will end its middle and high school masking policy after March 11. But the requirement won’t be lifted in elementary schools until April 2, when students return from spring break.
Sacramento City United: At a meeting this week, the county council decided to uphold the county’s mask-wearing order until at least April 18.
Auckland unified: Officials have said they will decide whether the mask mandate should be lifted after receiving guidance from Alameda County. The district announced last week that it would allow districts to make masks optional, but Oakland’s school authorities have yet to make a decision.
School mask requirements have become especially contentious in recent months as parents in California have watched the Omicron variant fall back. Similar requirements have already been removed by New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and other states.
However, according to a UC Berkeley poll last month, 61% of parents in California support the requirement that students and teachers wear masks at school. (It is possible that the approval of mask mandates has since fallen as the number of cases has declined.)
Students and teachers who wish to wear masks after Friday may do so in accordance with public policy. In fact, in his announcement of the change, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that masks are still “highly recommended.”
Tell us how you feel about the removal of school mask requirements. If you would like to share your thoughts, you can fill out this form here. We may use your response in the next newsletter.
If you read one story, do it
Ukrainians in the US are heading to the front line: “I’ll do whatever they ask.”
what do we eat
How to make chili.
Where are we going
Today’s advice comes from John Huey, who recommends Laguna Beach in Orange County:
“We live out of state, but have been in the Laguna area for the last 25 years or so. I love beaches and, of course, the Pacific Ocean. We rent on the beach and enjoy the many attractions in the area, Laguna’s summer arts festivals and many great restaurants.”
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Send your suggestions to [email protected]. We will report more in future editions of the newsletter.
And before you leave, good news
Jackson Thomas Blaisdell and Radha Jane first met in an economics class at Stanford University. After exchanging numbers at a party, they started dating in late 2015.
But after nearly five years of being together – and living together during the Covid-19 lockdown – the couple broke up in August 2020. They didn’t speak for a year.
The space gave them clarity about what they think of each other, the couple told The Times.
When they finally reunited and Blaisdell saw Jane for the first time, “it was really just a feeling of coming home,” he said.
Jane agreed.
“I think it was because of that time apart that we were so sure that this is what we want for the rest of our lives,” she said.
They got married this year.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Soumya
PS Here’s today’s mini-crossword and clue: Worst test score (4 letters).
Briana Scalia and Jordon Wollner contributed to California Today. You can contact the team at [email protected].
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