Berkeley Aligns With State Mask Guidance

BERKELEY, CA – The city of Berkeley will align with the state next week when it lifts indoor mask requirements for K-12 students.

City officials on Thursday announced that Berkeley will join the state in removing the requirement that children wear masks in schools serving students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade and early childcare settings.

The statewide shift reflects the current state of the pandemic, city officials said, noting the rapid decline of cases and very low rate of hospitalizations and severe illness.

Both the city of Berkeley and the rest of Alameda County are aligned with that decision.

"At this time, we feel comfortable changing the order to a strong recommendation, which allows for more flexibility in how people and facilities implement safety measures in schools and childcare." said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the City of Berkeley Health Officer.

"We know that properly worn N95, KN95, and other highly effective masks are protective and also dramatically lower unintended spread," she added. "New surges that threaten public health and the lives of vulnerable residents may call for quick and assertive action - including new requirements to mask."

Since Feb. 16, the statewide mask order has dictated what is required for masking in Berkeley.

Masks are still required for 10 days for those who had a known exposure to COVID-19. Those who test positive for COVID-19 are also required to wear a mask for 10 days, regardless of whether they test negative on the fifth day and qualify to exit isolation.

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must mask in public transportation; health care settings; congregate settings like correctional facilities and homeless shelters; and long-term care facilities.

Some jurisdictions will have stricter rules, based on the conditions there. Wherever you travel to, use local orders to guide the minimum precautions you should take.

As with schools and childcare, businesses and workplaces can choose to maintain masking requirements for everyone at least 2 years of age.

"People and organizations will choose to mask or require it for a variety of reasons. Respecting others for their decisions will help keep us stronger as a community," city officials said in a statement.

"Be prepared to mask where others require."

For information on where to get vaccinated in Berkeley, visit here.