California lifts mask mandate on schools as of March 12

Masks will no longer be required in California schools as of March 12 but will remain “strongly recommended,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.

The change for school-age children will arrive nearly two weeks after the state lifts its general indoor masking rules on Tuesday.

“California continues to adjust our policies based on the latest data and science, applying what we’ve learned over the past two years to guide our response to the pandemic,” Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, said.

The change comes amid a flurry of blue-state efforts to lift divisive COVID-19 rules on a pandemic-weary public as the winter omicron spike eases. Cases nationwide are averaging about 65,000 per day, down from about 800,000 at the mid-January peak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reconfigured federal mask guidance on Friday into a three-tier system that focuses on hospital capacity and transmission. Now, roughly 70% of Americans live in areas where the CDC no longer recommends universal masking.

Also Monday, the Oregon Health Authority said a rule requiring masks in indoor public places and schools will be lifted after 11:59 p.m. on March 11.

Washington State said it will lift its indoor mask mandate at the same time but it will issue additional guidance for K-12 schools next week.

The governors of all three states warned that masks will still be required in certain settings, such as hospitals and public transportation.

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.