L.A. schools drop aggressive COVID-19 rules: No more testing for all and masks stay optional
2 years, 4 months ago

L.A. schools drop aggressive COVID-19 rules: No more testing for all and masks stay optional

LA Times  

When Los Angeles schools open on Aug. 15, mask wearing will be optional and other COVID-19 safety rules relaxed to match with county requirements. Los Angeles Unified school leaders on Tuesday officially stepped back from COVID-19 safety protocols that have been among the most far-reaching in the country, choosing instead to mirror current county requirements and join most other school systems throughout the region, marking a reordering of priorities as the pandemic seeps into a third academic year. What that means for students and parents is a continued deferment of L.A. Unified School District‘s vaccination mandate for students and voluntary masking in the nation’s second-largest school system. “However, we have also learned a lot, and we now have better tools and technology at our disposal.” Most of the county’s 80 school systems appear to be following a course similar to L.A. Unified. “The unique challenge of COVID is the chronic uncertainty,” said Toby Gilbert, a spokesperson for the Alhambra Unified School District, which had enough tests on hand for one month of weekly testing.

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History of this topic

Opinion: California’s new rules allow COVID-positive kids in school. Here’s the problem
11 months ago

Opinion: California’s new rules allow COVID-positive kids in school. Here’s the problem

LA Times  

The California Department of Public Health recently updated its COVID guidance to allow people who have tested positive to exit isolation sooner than before. This change came as a surprise to many — and it prompted some outrage when the Oakland Unified School District announced a new policy as a result, one in which students who test positive without symptoms …

COVID outbreaks hit workplaces, schools across California as summer illnesses worsen
1 year, 3 months ago

COVID outbreaks hit workplaces, schools across California as summer illnesses worsen

LA Times  

The summer COVID bump is worsening in California, with infections spreading at schools and workplaces, and hospitalizations ticking up. Among the work sites in L.A. County where there are active COVID-19 outbreak investigations are the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, CBS Studio Center Stage 18, the L.A. City Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Street Services, the Westchester-Loyola Village Branch …

Mask mandate dropped for school campuses
1 year, 9 months ago

Mask mandate dropped for school campuses

China Daily  

Students and teachers are no longer required to wear masks on campuses, according to the latest COVID-19 epidemic control plan for schools and universities. No mass nucleic acid testing should be carried out at universities, yet they can conduct antigen tests or nucleic acid tests on staff members such as medical workers and canteen staff, the plan said. The plan …

Mask mandate dropped for school campuses
1 year, 9 months ago

Mask mandate dropped for school campuses

China Daily  

Students attend their first class after winter break at Beijing Huajiadi Experimental Primary School on Feb 13, 2023. Students and teachers are no longer required to wear masks on campuses, according to the latest COVID-19 epidemic control plan for schools and universities. No mass nucleic acid testing should be carried out at universities, yet they can conduct antigen tests or …

Opinion: California gave up on mandating COVID vaccines for schoolchildren. Here’s why that’s wise
1 year, 9 months ago

Opinion: California gave up on mandating COVID vaccines for schoolchildren. Here’s why that’s wise

LA Times  

A California Supreme Court decision last week reaffirmed that individual school districts lack the authority to require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Unlike the other vaccines required for school enrollment in California, the COVID vaccines are unreliable at preventing infection or transmission, providing at best modest protection against infection for only a couple of months. We never had any …

California’s COVID-19 student vaccine mandate, on hold since April, is dropped
1 year, 10 months ago

California’s COVID-19 student vaccine mandate, on hold since April, is dropped

LA Times  

Sarginoor Kaur gets a COVID-19 vaccination from nurse Chelsea Meyer at Arleta High School in 2021. California will not enact its student vaccine mandate, Public Health Department officials said. California’s student COVID-19 vaccine mandate — which has been on hold since April — has been quietly dropped as the state prepares to end emergency pandemic restrictions later this month, public …

Anxiety over ‘tripledemic’ has these LAUSD parents pleading for mask mandate
1 year, 11 months ago

Anxiety over ‘tripledemic’ has these LAUSD parents pleading for mask mandate

LA Times  

Some students wear masks in this first-grade class at 75th Street Elementary School in Los Angeles during a December visit from L.A. schools Supt. “I told them that day that they have to help, too.” Lopez’s concerns typify the voices of many Los Angeles parents who are navigating another troubling winter of health worries. “As parents who advocate for an …

COVID-19 guidelines: Uttarakhand makes 'mask' compulsory in schools amid rising cases
1 year, 11 months ago

COVID-19 guidelines: Uttarakhand makes 'mask' compulsory in schools amid rising cases

India TV News  

Uttarakhand COVID-19 guidelines : The state of Uttarakhand has made mask compulsory in schools amid rising COVID-19 cases in many countries of the world. According to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry today, the total recovery rate reached at around 98.80 per cent and total recoveries data reached to 4,41,43,665. The total active cases of COVID-19 in India …

L.A. County hits high COVID-19 community level, but mask mandate far from certain
2 years ago

L.A. County hits high COVID-19 community level, but mask mandate far from certain

LA Times  

Los Angeles County has again entered the high COVID-19 community level, further indication that the continuing spike in cases is starting to exert pressure on the region’s hospitals. L.A. County hasn’t been in the high COVID-19 community level since summer, the last time when it appeared a mask mandate might be imminent. The county’s move into the high COVID-19 community …

San Diego Unified’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate struck down in court — again
2 years, 1 month ago

San Diego Unified’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate struck down in court — again

LA Times  

Nurse Zoe Reza administers a COVID-19 vaccine to Blossom Bess, 15, at a mobile clinic at Crawford High School in San Diego in January. A California appeals court ruled against the San Diego Unified School District’s COVID-19 student vaccine mandate, which has been on pause for the last half-year. “This is a great win for children and the rule of …

L.A. County could soon drop this key COVID mask rule. Here’s why
2 years, 3 months ago

L.A. County could soon drop this key COVID mask rule. Here’s why

LA Times  

Los Angeles County’s requirement that riders wear masks aboard public transit or in transportation hubs such as airports could end this month if coronavirus case rates decline further. And because the person with COVID is often capable of infecting others for up to 48 hours before they develop any symptoms — and some people never develop symptoms and yet can …

CDC drops quarantine, distancing recommendations for COVID
2 years, 4 months ago

CDC drops quarantine, distancing recommendations for COVID

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The nation’s top public health agency relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines Thursday, dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. The CDC also dropped a “test-to-stay” recommendation, which said students exposed to COVID-19 could regularly test — instead of quarantining at home — to keep attending school. “After two …

L.A. County reports 12th pediatric COVID death. How to keep kids safe as school begins
2 years, 4 months ago

L.A. County reports 12th pediatric COVID death. How to keep kids safe as school begins

LA Times  

Paolo Canizales gets a shot of the Pfizer vaccine March 16 at Helen Keller Elementary School in Lynwood. There’s a possibility of a small increase in cases as the academic year begins — especially at elementary schools, due to the lower vaccination rates — but there are ways to reduce risk, said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. …

L.A. County goes it alone in push for new coronavirus mask rules, igniting familiar debate
2 years, 5 months ago

L.A. County goes it alone in push for new coronavirus mask rules, igniting familiar debate

LA Times  

A masked traveler walks through the main lobby of Los Angeles’ Union Station on July 12. Sustained growth in coronavirus-positive hospitalizations has Los Angeles County on the brink of a new public indoor mask mandate, a move officials say could help curb still-widespread transmission, but it has raised some concerns among business groups and sparked questions about its necessity. Although …

Youngkin eases day care, school masking, quarantine guidance
2 years, 5 months ago

Youngkin eases day care, school masking, quarantine guidance

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — Quarantining after exposure to COVID-19 is no longer recommended for unvaccinated, asymptomatic children in child care, K-12 schools and camp settings, Gov. The guidance announced Thursday evening by the Republican governor’s office also said masking is no longer routinely recommended in those settings, except in limited circumstances. Youngkin said the guidance, which is a departure from federal …

With COVID surging, Los Angeles may soon require masks
2 years, 5 months ago

With COVID surging, Los Angeles may soon require masks

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Nick Barragan is used to wearing a mask because his job in the Hollywood film industry has long required it. “We’re asking you to take a sensible step, when there’s this much transmission with a highly transmissible variant, to go ahead and put back on a well fitting high-filtration mask when you’re indoors around others.” Nationwide, the …

With ultra-contagious BA.5 rising, how close is L.A. to an indoor COVID mask mandate?
2 years, 5 months ago

With ultra-contagious BA.5 rising, how close is L.A. to an indoor COVID mask mandate?

LA Times  

People wear masks while waiting in line for COVID-19 tests in Los Angeles in January. However, it is looking more likely, as cases and admissions have continued to increase, that we’ll enter the high community level designation later this month,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. Assuming L.A. County were to enter the high COVID-19 community level …

School’s out. Will that help California get ahead of COVID-19?
2 years, 6 months ago

School’s out. Will that help California get ahead of COVID-19?

LA Times  

Angel Cardenas, a freshman at Hiram W. Johnson High School in Sacramento, wears his mask as he works on a math worksheet in class this week. “It’s very hard to accurately predict,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. “If nothing else, I’ve learned this virus throws us curve balls all the time.” The county’s official case count will …

Call for SA children to get vaccinated for flu as well as COVID-19 as primary school vaccination hubs open
2 years, 6 months ago

Call for SA children to get vaccinated for flu as well as COVID-19 as primary school vaccination hubs open

ABC  

South Australian parents have been urged to get their children vaccinated against influenza on the same day as a COVID-19 vaccination blitz has begun in the state's schools. Key points: About half of this year's flu cases are in children No decision has been made on making the flu vaccine free for everyone A program of COVID-19 vaccination clinics at …

UCLA reinstates indoor mask mandate as L.A. County coronavirus cases rise
2 years, 6 months ago

UCLA reinstates indoor mask mandate as L.A. County coronavirus cases rise

LA Times  

A student walks near Royce Hall at UCLA, which has reinstated its indoor mask mandate as coronavirus cases continue to climb in Los Angeles County. UCLA has ordered a mask mandate in indoor settings on campus, effective Friday, as coronavirus cases continue to climb in Los Angeles County. During a briefing Thursday, she said “should we continue to see a …

The limits to school security become clear as parents demand answers after Texas shooting
2 years, 6 months ago

The limits to school security become clear as parents demand answers after Texas shooting

LA Times  

A woman waits outside after school at Yorkdale Elementary in Highland Park on Wednesday, one day after 19 children and two adults were killed at a school in Texas. The Texas school shooting has prompted questions among Los Angeles-area parents about school security measures that could prevent similar violence on their children’s campuses. “Moments like these force us as educators …

L.A. school board delays student COVID-19 vaccine mandate without any discussion
2 years, 7 months ago

L.A. school board delays student COVID-19 vaccine mandate without any discussion

LA Times  

Sarginoor Kaur, 7, gets the COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Chelsea Meyer at Arleta High School in November. The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved a delay of a student vaccine mandate for COVID-19 that had been scheduled to take effect next fall, under a recommendation from Supt. About 78% of Los Angeles Unified School District students age …

L.A. schools chief pushes to delay student COVID vaccination mandate
2 years, 7 months ago

L.A. schools chief pushes to delay student COVID vaccination mandate

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District should delay its requirement that students be vaccinated against COVID-19 until next year, its superintendent recommended Thursday, given the system’s already high vaccination rates among older students as well as low transmission rates in schools. “We also know that the district’s high vaccination rates played a crucial role in keeping kids in school throughout …

Mandate COVID Vaccination for Adults, Don’t Make School-going Children a Scapegoat
2 years, 8 months ago

Mandate COVID Vaccination for Adults, Don’t Make School-going Children a Scapegoat

News 18  

Schooling has been a matter of enthusiastic, and often passionate, debate since the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. The second cause of worry is the assumption that with schools being open, children would infect each other and spread it to their teachers or carry it home and infect the adults, especially the grandparents who we do know have a higher …

Covid-19: No sharing, masks a must, temperature checks in fresh school guidelines in Delhi
2 years, 8 months ago

Covid-19: No sharing, masks a must, temperature checks in fresh school guidelines in Delhi

Hindustan Times  

In a bid to limit the spread of Covid-19 in schools, the Delhi government on Friday issued standard operating procedures asking administrations to ensure that students do not share food, books or stationery, even as it stressed that no student, teacher, or guest be allowed inside campus without a temperature check. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority in its Wednesday meeting …

Covid-19 cases rise again: How can you keep your children safe in schools, home
2 years, 8 months ago

Covid-19 cases rise again: How can you keep your children safe in schools, home

India Today  

Weeks after the Omicron cases subsided across India, coronavirus is once again on the rise. Parents and teachers can keep a few things in mind to keep children safe both at school and at home as new cases pop up. How to keep children safe from Covid-19 in schools, at home? Graphic: Pradeep Singh Saini Health experts have urged schools …

California delays coronavirus vaccine mandate for schools
2 years, 8 months ago

California delays coronavirus vaccine mandate for schools

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is sticking with its coronavirus vaccine mandate for schoolchildren, but it won’t happen until at least the summer of 2023, Gov. “So based on these two facts — we don’t have full FDA approval, and we recognize the implementation challenges that schools and school leaders would face — that we are not moving to have a …

California pauses plans to require COVID-19 vaccinations for schoolchildren
2 years, 8 months ago

California pauses plans to require COVID-19 vaccinations for schoolchildren

LA Times  

California will not require schoolchildren to be immunized for COVID-19 after Gov. Newsom’s office said that after the FDA approves the vaccine for children 12 and older, state public health officials will consider recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups “prior to implementing a school vaccine requirement.” Currently, …

School coronavirus outbreaks rise in L.A. County after mask orders are lifted
2 years, 8 months ago

School coronavirus outbreaks rise in L.A. County after mask orders are lifted

LA Times  

The number of K-12 school coronavirus outbreaks is rising in Los Angeles County after many schools lifted mask-wearing requirements. Among K-12 campuses, “that’s one of the largest outbreaks we’ve ever had at a school since the beginning of the pandemic,” Ferrer said. Another factor behind the rise in school outbreaks, Ferrer said, is “the change in the state’s quarantine guidance …

L.A. Unified to lift indoor mask mandate next week in agreement with teachers union
2 years, 9 months ago

L.A. Unified to lift indoor mask mandate next week in agreement with teachers union

LA Times  

Alberto Carvalho talks with science students at Washington Preparatory High School in South L.A. Please consider your situation and do what is best for you or your child.” The district also agreed to: Maintain a supply of high-grade masks and provide them to employees upon request “Strongly encourage” indoor masking “at every school and worksite through ongoing communications” Maintain a …

How will L.A. County find warning signs of the next coronavirus surge?
2 years, 9 months ago

How will L.A. County find warning signs of the next coronavirus surge?

LA Times  

Felipe Ramirez, left, Adriana Aranda and Jacqueline Macias of AltaMed Health Services canvass at Arry’s Burger to share information about COVID-19 vaccinations and distribute test kits Thursday in Montebello. L.A. County also will monitor the number of outbreaks in four specific settings of concern: Nursing homes: The goal is to keep the number of weekly outbreaks at skilled nursing facilities …

NYC sheds vaccination mandate, school masks precautions
2 years, 9 months ago

NYC sheds vaccination mandate, school masks precautions

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — New York City shed major COVID-19 precautions on Monday as masks became optional in city schools and restaurants and cultural attractions could stop asking patrons for proof of vaccination. Let’s enjoy our city,” Mayor Eric Adams said after visiting several restaurants in Manhattan’s East Village. The Democratic mayor urged New Yorkers to “enjoy the city and spend …

Chicago Public Schools drop mask requirement in classrooms
2 years, 9 months ago

Chicago Public Schools drop mask requirement in classrooms

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools will stop requiring face masks for staff and students in the nation’s third-largest school district starting March 14, officials announced Monday. “CPS was one of the first to require universal masking in schools, and we would not be moving to a mask-optional model unless the data and our public health experts indicated that it is …

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air
2 years, 9 months ago

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air

CNN  

CNN — Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet. Dr. Mark Ghaly, state Health and Human Services Agency secretary, said he’s “pleased with how the data has come down.” Los Angeles County is aligning itself with California’s new masking guidance by no longer requiring …

Some Americans welcome new CDC mask guidance. Others are wary
2 years, 9 months ago

Some Americans welcome new CDC mask guidance. Others are wary

LA Times  

Patrons take off their masks inside Philippe’s restaurant in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. J.B. Pritzker said that the statewide school mask mandate will be lifted Monday in response to the new guidance, although Chicago Public Schools officials said they will continue to require masks “to maintain health and safety measures.” Los Angeles on Friday began allowing people who are …

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week
2 years, 9 months ago

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week

CNN  

CNN — New York will no longer require students to wear masks in schools beginning on Wednesday, Gov. Counties and cities that have a higher rate of Covid-19 transmission have the “flexibility” to keep the mask requirement in schools, Hochul said, and parents and guardians may still send their children to school in masks. “If we see no unforeseen spikes …

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC
2 years, 9 months ago

Washington officials to assess new mask guidance from CDC

Associated Press  

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s March 21 date to lift the statewide mask mandate remains in place for now as state officials review new guidance Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says people in most places can safely take a break from wearing facial coverings. Jay Inslee, said in an email Friday that the office has not …

New US COVID guidelines allow most Americans to go mask-free
2 years, 9 months ago

New US COVID guidelines allow most Americans to go mask-free

Al Jazeera  

New US coronavirus masking policy is broken down into three risk categories based on hospital capacity and cases. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dramatically eased its COVID-19 guidelines for when people should wear masks indoors, a move that means 72 percent of the US population will reside in communities where indoor face coverings are no …

California voters strongly support mask and vaccine mandates in K-12 schools
2 years, 10 months ago

California voters strongly support mask and vaccine mandates in K-12 schools

LA Times  

Nearly two-thirds of California voters, including a majority of parents, support mask and vaccine mandates in K-12 schools, according to a poll conducted this month by the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley and co- The results of the early February poll of nearly 9,000 California voters suggest continued broad public support for policies aimed at reducing the spread …

L.A. County bars, offices, gyms can drop mask rules with COVID vaccine verification
2 years, 10 months ago

L.A. County bars, offices, gyms can drop mask rules with COVID vaccine verification

LA Times  

Security officer Don McClaren checks for proof of vaccination from customers before they can enter the bar inside Permanent Records Roadhouse on July 30 in Los Angeles. County health officials have expressed optimism that the region is mere weeks away from clearing the threshold they’ve set to fully repeal the requirement that fully vaccinated individuals must still mask up in …

What you need to know about L.A. County’s new relaxed indoor mask rules
2 years, 10 months ago

What you need to know about L.A. County’s new relaxed indoor mask rules

LA Times  

Big changes are coming to L.A. County’s coronavirus regulations. At indoor businesses and offices that verify vaccination status, people who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to wear masks starting Friday, county health officials announced Wednesday. People who are not fully vaccinated can still enter indoor establishments with relaxed masking rules but must show proof of a recent negative …

L.A. school district lifts outdoor mask mandate for students and staff
2 years, 10 months ago

L.A. school district lifts outdoor mask mandate for students and staff

LA Times  

The Los Angeles Unified School District lifts outdoor masking requirements for students and staff. The Los Angeles Unified School District on Tuesday dropped its outdoor mask mandate after the county allowed K-12 schools to lift the requirement last week. San Diego Unified, the state’s second-largest school system, lifted its outdoor mask mandate Wednesday. Los Angeles County has not yet followed …

US covid restrictions: Boston and Hawaii join states and major cities lifting requirements
2 years, 10 months ago

US covid restrictions: Boston and Hawaii join states and major cities lifting requirements

CNN  

CNN — As the number of new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations slowly falls, cities and states are loosening vaccine and mask requirements. “As of today, our public health data show that Boston is officially below the 3 critical thresholds for heightened Covid protections, so we are lifting the proof of vaccination requirement,” Wu said in a tweet. Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, …

L.A. Unified to drop outdoor mask requirement next week
2 years, 10 months ago

L.A. Unified to drop outdoor mask requirement next week

LA Times  

Starting next week, students in the Los Angeles Unified School District will be able to remove their masks outdoors on campus for the first time since in-person schooling resumed 10 months ago. Alberto Carvalho announced the decision Friday, a day after broadly hinting that the decision was coming “before the end of the week.” “In alignment with the Department of …

More COVID-19 rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead
2 years, 10 months ago

More COVID-19 rules fall as CDC hints at better times ahead

LA Times  

Customers eat at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia on Feb. 16, 2022. The nation’s leading health officials said Wednesday that the U.S. is moving closer to the point that COVID-19 is no longer a “constant crisis” as more cities, businesses and sports venues began lifting pandemic restrictions around the country. Philadelphia officials said Wednesday the city’s vaccine mandate for …

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends
2 years, 10 months ago

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends

CNN  

CNN — Just one day before California is set to relax a statewide mask mandate for vaccinated people in indoor public spaces, the state’s top health official announced that masks will still be required in schools. There will be no change to the school requirement, Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced at a press conference Monday. …

As states drop school mask mandates, health experts clash on whether it's too soon
2 years, 10 months ago

As states drop school mask mandates, health experts clash on whether it's too soon

Salon  

As U.S. omicron case numbers drop from their January peak, some states with in-person instruction have started to drop their mask mandates for schools. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Davis, agreed that it's too early for schools to lift their mask mandates. Blumberg noted that …

When is it really safe to take off your mask in California? Here’s what we know
2 years, 10 months ago

When is it really safe to take off your mask in California? Here’s what we know

LA Times  

When is it really safe to take off your mask? Pan’s comments are in line with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which suggests that vaccinated people still wear a mask in indoor public settings when local transmission levels are “high” or “substantial,” the worst two categories in the CDC’s four-level tier system, colored red and …

California Will Lift Mask Mandate As Omicron Cases Fall
2 years, 10 months ago

California Will Lift Mask Mandate As Omicron Cases Fall

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will end its indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people next week but masks still are the rule for schoolchildren, state health officials announced Monday amid rapidly falling coronavirus cases. Local governments can continue their own indoor masking requirements and last week Los Angeles County’s health officials said they intend to keep theirs in …

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