Will new CDC guidance lead to California unmasking?
California’s COVID-19 mask mandate will remain in place for now, but state officials say changes could be coming in light of new federal guidelines released Tuesday.
The new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors “except in certain crowded settings and venues.”
The CDC continues to advise wearing a mask when in an indoors public setting or when visiting indoors with unvaccinated people from multiple households. The CDC also continues to recommend avoiding “largesized in-person gatherings.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom in a written statement said his administration is considering how to adjust the state’s directive on face coverings to reflect the new information from the CDC.
“We have reviewed and support the CDC’s new masking recommendations and are working quickly to align California’s guidance with these common sense updates,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health, in a statement. “While more than 50% of Californians 16+ are partially or fully vaccinated, many others are still not vaccinated, and the threat of variants remains. We continue to urge all eligible Californians to get vaccinated to help us move past this pandemic.”
Newsom’s office pointed to the state’s success in vaccinating people, with more than 28 million vaccine doses administered. “We need to remain vigilant and continue public health prevention measures — like wearing masks when appropriate and getting vaccinated — but the light at the end of this tunnel has never been brighter,” Newsom said.
California has been under a mask mandate since June 2020. The order requires that Californians older than 2 wear a cloth face covering in all indoor public spaces, and also outdoors in spaces where people can’t maintain six feet of distance.
“We need to remain vigilant and continue public health prevention measures — like wearing masks when appropriate and getting vaccinated — but the light at the end of this tunnel has never been brighter.”
CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM