CA Mask Mandate Ending Soon For Laguna Niguel Residents

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — California will lift its statewide mask mandate for indoor public places next week, health officials reported. The move comes as the omicron-fueled winter surge rapidly recedes across the state.

The new policy will go into effect on Feb. 15. After that date, Laguna Niguel and Dana Point residents vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer have to wear masks in indoor or outdoor settings, unless specified by local city or county officials.

COVID-19 hospitalizations and case rates in Orange County trended downward throughout January and the first week of February, according to the latest health data.

While hospitalizations and case rates decline, Orange County's January death toll eclipsed the worst months of last summer's surge, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The county reported 28 more COVID-19-related deaths since Friday, with 24 of them occurring in January.

"Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under 5 are around the corner and access to COVID-19 treatments is improving," Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said in a news release. "With things moving in the right direction, we are making responsible modifications to COVID-19 prevention measures while also continuing to develop a longer-term action plan for the state."

The lifting of the statewide mask mandate primarily affects counties that don't have their own, which includes Orange, San Diego and Riverside counties and parts of the central valley.

Per the California Department of Public Health, everyone is required to wear masks in:

• Indoor public spaces (until Feb. 15, 2022)
• Workplaces (until Feb. 15, 2022)
• Public transit
• Healthcare settings (including long term care facilities)
• Adult and senior care facilities
• Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare and other youth settings
• State and local correctional facilities and detention centers
• Homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers

Masks are required for unvaccinated people and recommended for everyone in places of worship.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration brought back the masking mandate in mid-December as omicron cases climbed through the holiday season, extending the requirement through Feb. 15. California passed 80,000 pandemic deaths and 8 million confirmed positive cases last week.

In announcing the change on social media Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom noted that "cases have decreased 65 percent since the omicron peak."

"Stay vigilant, get vaccinated, get boosted," Newsom said.

Related:

• Getting Free At-Home COVID Tests In CA: 5 Things To Know
• Vaccine Mandate Proposed For CA Schoolchildren: Readers Weigh In
• Free N95 Masks Available At CA CVS, Costco And Walgreens Soon

The Associated Press contributed to this report.