Mask requirement for classrooms in California to be lifted after March 11

Schools in California will soon be able to remove the requirement that students and teachers must mask up in the classroom, state health officials announced Monday.Leer en españolThe new indoor mask policy for schools goes into effect after 11:59 p.m. on March 11.Masks will also no longer be required for unvaccinated individuals in most indoor settings starting March 1, but masks will be strongly recommended for everyone.Masking up will still be required for everyone in high transmission settings like public transit, emergency shelters, health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and long-term care facilities.| RELATED | California adopts nation’s first ‘endemic’ virus policyLocal jurisdictions may also have additional requirements beyond the state’s guidance.“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. Masks are an effective tool to minimize spread of the virus and future variants, especially when transmission rates are high,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a prepared statement.”We cannot predict the future of the virus, but we are better prepared for it and will continue to take measures rooted in science to keep California moving forward,” he said.The statewide mask mandate was lifted for vaccinated individuals earlier this month on Feb. 15, but not for schoolchildren or unvaccinated individuals. Currently, California requires all K-12 students to mask up indoors. Adults in these settings are also required to mask up when sharing indoor spaces with students.Many Northern California school districts fed up with the rule have already allowed students to go without masks in the classroom, which goes against the state’s public health guidelines.Last week, Roseville City Unified School District and Rocklin Unified School District announced they would not enforce the state’s mask mandate for students.The decision put Roseville schools’ liability insurance coverage in jeopardy.The Sacramento City Unified School District in an email to KCRA 3 said it will continue to communicate with Sacramento County public health officials for guidance, and it will “communicate any potential updates to our Health & Safety Guidelines regarding masking at the upcoming March 3 Board meeting and in a subsequent communication to District families.”Northern California’s largest school district, Elk Grove Unified, also said in an email that it will also seek updated guidance from the Sacramento County Public Health Department. For now, “all current COVID-19 mitigation strategies will remain in place.”The Natomas Unified School District told KCRA 3 it will leave the choice of masking up to students, families and staff members if they choose to do so after the state’s mask mandate lifts after midnight on March 11.

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