California will soon drop its indoor mask mandate. The state will peel back its indoor mask mandate, but Los Angeles County will hold on to its requirement.
The most recent mask mandate, which obliged Californians to cover their faces in indoor public settings because of the Omicron variant’s uncertainty, went into effect in mid-December and was supposed to last until at least Jan. 15. The mandate was extended to Feb. 15 and is set to expire.
According to The New York Times, masks will still be required indoors for unvaccinated citizens and in hospitals, schools, and high-risk settings.
“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 Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, the director of California’s Department of Public Health.