CA Mask Mandate Ending Soon, Governor Says

CALIFORNIA, CA — California will lift its statewide mask mandate for indoor public places next week, ending one of the nation's strictest masking requirements. The move, announced by state health officials on Monday, comes as the Omicron-fueled winter surge rapidly recedes across the state.

The new policy will go into effect Feb. 15.

“Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under 5 are around the corner, and access to COVID-19 treatments is improving,” said state Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón. “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 will primarily affect counties that don't currently have their own, which includes parts of the Central Valley as well as San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties. Some of the state's most populous counties such as Los Angeles still have in place strict indoor masking policies as of Monday afternoon. San Francisco has already eased restrictions.

Notably, unvaccinated people will still be required to wear masks in indoor public places. People on public transit and in high-risk settings such as nursing homes will still be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

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

• Indoor public spaces (until February 15, 2022)
• Workplaces (until February 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 gained momentum and last month extended the requirement through Feb. 15. California passed 80,000 pandemic deaths and 8 million confirmed positive cases last week. Los Angeles, the epicenter of the state's surge, confirmed more than 100 daily COVID-19 deaths multiple times last week. Still, new cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions all continued falling Monday and are projected to keep declining at a rapid clip.

In announcing the change on social media Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom noted, "Cases have decreased 65% since the Omicron peak. Stay vigilant, get vaccinated, get boosted."

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.