California will lift mask mandate as omicron cases fall
2 years, 10 months ago

California will lift mask mandate as omicron cases fall

Associated Press  

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 place beyond the state deadline. “We are glad to see Governor Newsom remove mask mandates on adults, especially since he and other elected officials violate these rules flagrantly in public,” said Jonathan Keller, president of the conservative California Family Council, referring to Newsom and others removing their masks at a football game last month. “That California would ease certain rules without putting our K-12 students first is disgraceful.” California health officials said Monday that they are “continuing to work with education, public health and community leaders to update masking requirements at schools to adapt to changing conditions and ensure the safety of kids, teachers, and staff.” Last week, Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer said the winter surge will be considered over in the nation’s most populous county when hospitalizations fall below 2,500 for seven days in a row.

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History of this topic

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Federal court dismisses case against Iowa governor’s ban on school mask mandates

Associated Press  

DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal court on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge to Iowa Gov. The ruling marks the conclusion of the yearslong court battle, originating in the fall of 2021 with a lawsuit alleging that Reynolds violated federal disability law by preventing schools from adopting mask mandates as an accommodation for students with disabilities. Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU …

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 …

There’s no sign of widespread COVID-19 mandates in the US. Republicans are warning of them anyway
1 year, 3 months ago

There’s no sign of widespread COVID-19 mandates in the US. Republicans are warning of them anyway

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. “No COVID-19 public health restrictions or mask requirements are being considered by the Murphy administration,” said Christi Peace, spokesperson for New Jersey Gov. Kathy Hochul was asked during a news conference Wednesday about whether she would consider mask or vaccine mandates: “We are in a place where we’re seeing low …

Why no one is talking about new mask rules even as COVID-19 rises in L.A.
1 year, 3 months ago

Why no one is talking about new mask rules even as COVID-19 rises in L.A.

LA Times  

Despite rising coronavirus outbreaks across Los Angeles County, officials said they have no plans for new public mask mandates — a sign of how COVID-19 policies have changed in an era of plentiful vaccines, lower death rates and back-to-normal culture. “We have such good tools right now that we really shouldn’t get there.” California COVID outbreaks hit workplaces, schools across …

Despite uptick in infections, Huntington Beach moves to ban COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates
1 year, 3 months ago

Despite uptick in infections, Huntington Beach moves to ban COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates

LA Times  

The Huntington Beach City Council voted Tuesday night to ban implementing COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements in the city. As a new wave of COVID-19 infections hits the region, the Huntington Beach City Council voted this week to ban the implementation of COVID vaccine and mask requirements in the city. The motion asserted that the mask mandates that were previously …

California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required
1 year, 9 months ago

California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required

LA Times  

Jazmin Escamilla takes blood samples Dec. 19 in the ambulance bay outside the emergency department at MLK Community Hospital in Los Angeles. With the COVID-19 state of emergency a thing of the past, California health officials on Friday unveiled plans to relax guidance on masking in high-risk settings and to end vaccination requirements for healthcare workers. California L.A. County’s COVID-19 …

Health officials are urging masks again amid high COVID, flu levels
2 years ago

Health officials are urging masks again amid high COVID, flu levels

LA Times  

With COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory diseases circulating widely in Los Angeles County and elsewhere, many officials are urging residents to use a familiar tool to help thwart transmission: masks. As case rates rise, “your chance of catching COVID during your routine activities — grocery shopping, eating out, running errands, going to work — will increase,” according to Los …

Done with masks? Too bad, because COVID isn't done with us
2 years ago

Done with masks? Too bad, because COVID isn't done with us

LA Times  

I’m Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. I don’t know how else to respond, but what I have noticed is that people who would just rather not wear masks cite the disclaimers, caveats and qualifiers mentioned by highly regarded scientists such as Dr. Anthony Fauci and run with them — while ignoring that these experts strenuously favor …

California is easing COVID-19 mask recommendations as conditions improve. Here’s where
2 years, 3 months ago

California is easing COVID-19 mask recommendations as conditions improve. Here’s where

LA Times  

In a new sign of improving coronavirus conditions, California will ease its mask-wearing recommendations for the first time in seven months. Instead, California will recommend universal mask wearing only when a county’s COVID-19 community level — which indicates rates of new coronavirus-positive hospitalizations — is high. Even with the changes, when the COVID-19 community level is high, the California Department …

COVID mask mandates for public and passenger transport in WA set to end next week
2 years, 3 months ago

COVID mask mandates for public and passenger transport in WA set to end next week

ABC  

WA's transition out of COVID is continuing with mask mandates on public and passenger transport to end late next week. Key points: Mask mandates will continue in aged and disability care facilities Visitor restrictions in those settings have been eased from Friday People are urged to continue wearing masks in crowded indoor settings Premier Mark McGowan said the move was …

Los Angeles County avoids new mask rule as COVID stabilizes
2 years, 4 months ago

Los Angeles County avoids new mask rule as COVID stabilizes

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County dropped a plan to impose a universal indoor mask mandate this week as COVID-19 infections and rates of hospitalizations have stabilized, a top health official said Thursday. Health director Barbara Ferrer said two weeks ago that the nation’s most populous county could again require face coverings if trends in hospital admissions continued under criteria …

A new L.A. mask mandate would have less value at this stage of the pandemic, some experts say
2 years, 4 months ago

A new L.A. mask mandate would have less value at this stage of the pandemic, some experts say

LA Times  

As successive waves of COVID-19 have swept across the Southland, Michael Matteo Rossi, a 35 year-old filmmaker who lives in Los Feliz, has gamely masked up whenever he shopped, ate out or visited with his parents, who are in their 70s. Barbara Ferrer, director of L.A. County Department of Health, announced plans to reinstate an indoor mask mandate if the …

L.A. County could be days away from a mask mandate. These cities won’t enforce it
2 years, 4 months ago

L.A. County could be days away from a mask mandate. These cities won’t enforce it

LA Times  

Shoppers at the Long Beach Flea Market in April. Although Los Angeles County is days away from possibly imposing another universal public indoor mask mandate, several cities within the county say they won’t enforce one if implemented or issue their own. “The City of Pasadena health officer will not be issuing a general indoor mask mandate at this time.” The …

Necessary or excessive? Debate intensifies over potential mask rule for L.A. County
2 years, 4 months ago

Necessary or excessive? Debate intensifies over potential mask rule for L.A. County

LA Times  

Visitors to the Grand Central Market are mostly masked on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 in Los Angeles. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer has said L.A. County would reimpose an indoor mask mandate if it reached the high COVID-19 community level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and remained there for two consecutive weeks. cited growing …

‘It’s sort of like we’re back to 2020’: L.A. dining scene braces for possible indoor masking return
2 years, 4 months ago

‘It’s sort of like we’re back to 2020’: L.A. dining scene braces for possible indoor masking return

LA Times  

Nicole Mitchell, a bartender and server at Cassia, in May 2021. As Los Angeles hurtles toward a possible return of a countywide indoor mask mandate, restaurateurs and bar owners are bracing for a new wave of backlash and enforcement difficulties — reminiscent of many of their industry’s hardships during the pandemic-spurred pivots and rapidly evolving dining regulations of 2020 and …

UC Irvine and other schools reinstate indoor mask mandates amid rising COVID-19 wave
2 years, 5 months ago

UC Irvine and other schools reinstate indoor mask mandates amid rising COVID-19 wave

LA Times  

The University of California Irvine on Monday will require all students and staff to wear masks while inside campus buildings, following the lead of other colleges that have chosen to strengthen safety measures in recent weeks as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Other University of California campuses including UC Riverside temporarily restored indoor mask policies earlier in the summer that …

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 …

Will everyone in California eventually get coronavirus? What we know
2 years, 5 months ago

Will everyone in California eventually get coronavirus? What we know

LA Times  

With tens of thousands of new coronavirus cases being reported in California each week, it might seem inevitable that everyone will get infected at some point. “The storyline is, ‘Everybody’s gotten it.’ But the reality is a lot of people haven’t,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert. “Everyone needs to be vigilant to avoid exposure and …

As California coronavirus hospitalizations rise, Bay Area divided on mask rules
2 years, 6 months ago

As California coronavirus hospitalizations rise, Bay Area divided on mask rules

LA Times  

People wear masks in March 2021 while walking along at path in front of the “Painted Ladies,” a row of Victorian homes, and the San Francisco skyline at Alamo Square Park in San Francisco. Across the bay from San Francisco, officials in Alameda County — which is home to Oakland — issued a new indoor mask mandate last week. Most …

With California hit by new coronavirus wave, time to start wearing masks? Limit gatherings?
2 years, 6 months ago

With California hit by new coronavirus wave, time to start wearing masks? Limit gatherings?

LA Times  

As California contends with another resurgence of the coronavirus, what should residents consider doing to protect themselves from infection? “With all of the unknowns around these new variants, it is sensible to take the simple step of putting back on the mask when you’re indoors,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director. But regardless of a region’s level, “individuals …

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say
2 years, 7 months ago

A third of US should be considering masks, officials say

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States — and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. “Prior increases of infections, in different waves of infection, have demonstrated that this travels across the country,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC …

2 more bills targeting COVID rules head to Ducey’s desk
2 years, 7 months ago

2 more bills targeting COVID rules head to Ducey’s desk

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Two more bills restricting responses to the coronavirus pandemic are heading to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk, including one that would impact the ability of future state leaders to respond to another airborne-spreading disease and a second blocking the state from ever requiring schoolchildren to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Senators also approved a bill barring the state Health …

Hawaii public school students to remain masked for summer
2 years, 7 months ago

Hawaii public school students to remain masked for summer

Associated Press  

HONOLULU — Public school students in Hawaii will be required to wear masks while indoors for summer classes and related activities. Hawaii is the only state in the nation that still has a universal indoor mask requirement for public school students. Hawaii’s State Epidemiologist Sarah Kemble said officials are still discussing whether to keep the rule in place for the …

There’s a lot at stake for the CDC in the mask mandate appeal
2 years, 7 months ago

There’s a lot at stake for the CDC in the mask mandate appeal

LA Times  

A passenger wears a mask aboard a Delta Air Lines flight. The appeal could set the parameters for the CDC’s authority in the next outbreak, and public health experts fear the lower court’s decision effectively closes “off future actions for a disease like this one,” said Erin Fuse Brown, director of the Center for Law, Health and Society at Georgia …

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
2 years, 7 months ago

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved

LA Times  

The CDC urges people to mask up in indoor public places where cases are rising, but few local jurisdictions are bringing back requirements. In New York City, cases are again rising and this week crossed the city’s threshold for “medium risk” due to the widening spread of the Omicron subvariant knowns as BA.2. “I don’t anticipate many places, if any, …

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved
2 years, 7 months ago

Even as COVID cases rise, mask mandates stay shelved

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — An increase in COVID-19 infections around the U.S. has sent more cities into new high-risk categories that are supposed to trigger indoor mask wearing, but much of the country is stopping short of bringing back restrictions amid deep pandemic fatigue. In New York City, cases are again rising and this week crossed the city’s threshold for “medium …

Mask mandates return to US college campuses as cases rise
2 years, 8 months ago

Mask mandates return to US college campuses as cases rise

Associated Press  

The final weeks of the college school year have been disrupted yet again by COVID-19 as universities bring back mask mandates, switch to online classes and scale back large gatherings in response to upticks in coronavirus infections. But several Northeast cities have seen a rise in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, as the BA.2 subvariant of the omicron variant …

Philadelphia to end mask mandate, days after reinstating it
2 years, 8 months ago

Philadelphia to end mask mandate, days after reinstating it

Associated Press  

Philadelphia is ending its indoor mask mandate, city health officials said Thursday night, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in infections. to say it appears that we no longer need to mandate masks in Philadelphia and that we can actually move to simply a strong recommendation.” …

Mask mandates return to U.S. college campuses as cases rise
2 years, 8 months ago

Mask mandates return to U.S. college campuses as cases rise

LA Times  

Signs indicating that protective face masks must be worn in classrooms are displayed outside lecture halls at Columbia University in New York. But several Northeast cities have seen a rise in cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks, as the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron variant continues to rapidly spread throughout the U.S. “As much as we would like to move …

Philadelphia ends indoor mask mandate just days after reinstating it
2 years, 8 months ago

Philadelphia ends indoor mask mandate just days after reinstating it

LA Times  

A store in Philadelphia advises customers that masks are required as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus. Philadelphia is ending its indoor mask mandate, city health officials said Thursday night, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in coronavirus infections. to say it appears that …

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
2 years, 8 months ago

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said. The CDC said in a statement that it is its “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the …

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate
2 years, 8 months ago

Justice Dept. to appeal order voiding travel mask mandate

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs, officials said Wednesday. The CDC said in a statement Wednesday that it is its “continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary …

L.A. County keeps mask mandate at airports, on public transit, despite federal changes
2 years, 8 months ago

L.A. County keeps mask mandate at airports, on public transit, despite federal changes

LA Times  

Despite recent changes at the federal level, Los Angeles County is continuing to require travelers to mask up when aboard public transit or in indoor transportation hubs such as airports. L.A. County’s mask order covers commuter trains, subways, buses, taxis, Ubers and Lyfts; as well as indoor transportation hubs, including bus terminals, subway stations, seaports and other indoor port terminals, …

EXPLAINED: What Happens in the Post-Mask World of Travel?
2 years, 8 months ago

EXPLAINED: What Happens in the Post-Mask World of Travel?

News 18  

A ruling by a US federal judge has ended — at least for now — the requirement that people wear masks on planes and public transportation, and there is plenty of confusion about the new, post-mask world of travel. In a 59-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, Florida, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and …

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed
2 years, 8 months ago

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed

Associated Press  

The Justice Department said Tuesday it will not appeal a federal district judge’s ruling that ended the nation’s federal mask mandate on public transit unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the requirement is still necessary. In a statement released a day after a Florida judge ended the sweeping mandate, which required face coverings on planes and trains …

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed
2 years, 8 months ago

Feds will appeal mask ruling only if mandate still needed

LA Times  

The Justice Department said Tuesday it will not appeal a federal district judge’s ruling that ended the nation’s mask mandate on public transit unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the requirement is still necessary. In a statement released a day after a Florida judge ended the sweeping mandate, which required face coverings on planes and trains and …

End to US mask mandate for travel brings cheers, concerns
2 years, 8 months ago

End to US mask mandate for travel brings cheers, concerns

Al Jazeera  

With COVID-19 cases rising again, lifting the mandate could make some passengers wary, prompt others to fly again. A United States judge’s decision to strike down a mask mandate on planes, trains and other forms of transportation in the US has been met with some cheers, while sparking concerns that removing masks could lead to more COVID-19 infections. In a …

California moves to lift vaccine, test verification at sizable indoor events
2 years, 9 months ago

California moves to lift vaccine, test verification at sizable indoor events

LA Times  

Fans line up before the start of a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day in Los Angeles. California will lift a rule next month requiring attendees to show proof they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the coronavirus as a condition of entry for significantly sized indoor events, …

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 …

Hawaii to lift last US state mask mandate by March 26
2 years, 9 months ago

Hawaii to lift last US state mask mandate by March 26

Associated Press  

HONOLULU — The last statewide mask mandate in the U.S. will be lifted by March 26, Hawaii Gov. Ige, a Democrat, said Hawaii’s culture of caring for others, especially kupuna, or older people in Hawaiian, helped the state tolerate the mask rule for so long. Hawaii health officials still recommend wearing masks indoors at schools, hospitals, prisons and other “congregate …

Hawaii will drop its mask mandate this month, the last state in the nation to do so
2 years, 9 months ago

Hawaii will drop its mask mandate this month, the last state in the nation to do so

CNN  

CNN — Hawaii’s mask mandate will expire March 25, Gov. “It’s taken the entire community to get to this point – with lowered case counts and hospitalizations,” Ige said in a tweet. He added in another tweet: “If we see another surge, we will be ready to reinstitute the mask policy, if needed.” The mandate will come to an end …

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 …

USC lifts mask mandate for most campus facilities
2 years, 9 months ago

USC lifts mask mandate for most campus facilities

LA Times  

USC on Monday will lift its indoor masking requirement for most campus facilities, officials announced. Masks will still be required at healthcare facilities and aboard public transportation, including USC shuttles, wrote Provost Charles F. Zukoski and Senior Vice President of Administration David Wright in a message to students. That comes after Los Angeles County issued a revised health order removing …

UConn relaxes vaccine restrictions, masks no longer required
2 years, 9 months ago

UConn relaxes vaccine restrictions, masks no longer required

Associated Press  

STORRS, Conn. — The University of Connecticut announced Thursday it would be relaxing COVID-19 protocols, no longer requiring masks be worn at most locations on its campuses. In a letter to the campus community, Radenka Maric, the school’s interim president, said that starting Friday masks will be recommended rather than required for students, employees and visitors on all UConn property …

L.A. County lifts indoor mask rule after hitting crucial milestone
2 years, 9 months ago

L.A. County lifts indoor mask rule after hitting crucial milestone

LA Times  

Los Angeles County ended its indoor mask mandate after entering the low coronavirus community level set by the CDC. Los Angeles County lifted its indoor mask order Friday after it officially exited the high coronavirus community level as calculated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even with the changes, California and L.A. County officials are still “strongly …

Masks optional in many New York schools after mandate ends
2 years, 9 months ago

Masks optional in many New York schools after mandate ends

Associated Press  

BUFFALO, N.Y. — School districts across New York state, including many of the largest, made mask wearing optional for students and staff beginning Wednesday as a statewide mandate came to an end. “I thought it was good because I could finally breathe better.” In New York City, which has the nation’s largest school district, an indoor mask mandate is expected …

Illinois COVID-19 mask mandate ending for most indoor spaces
2 years, 9 months ago

Illinois COVID-19 mask mandate ending for most indoor spaces

Associated Press  

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The need for face coverings in most indoor spaces in Illinois was ending Monday as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic eases. In the rest of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said last week that the city would also lift its mask mandate Monday, along with a requirement that people show proof of vaccination at places such as …

L.A. County set to lift indoor mask rules, vaccination proof at bars. What will change
2 years, 9 months ago

L.A. County set to lift indoor mask rules, vaccination proof at bars. What will change

LA Times  

Security officer Don McClaren checks for proof of vaccination status from customers before they can enter the bar. It’s expected that L.A. County will officially lift its indoor mask order effective Friday, a mandate put in place in July, according to L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. California and L.A. County officials, however, are still “strongly recommending” mask use …

Lamont: About 85% of Connecticut schools dropping mask rule
2 years, 9 months ago

Lamont: About 85% of Connecticut schools dropping mask rule

Associated Press  

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and the head of state’s association of school superintendents say about 85% to 90% of school districts across the state have elected to drop mandatory face mask wearing as of Monday, the day when local officials were allowed to decide whether to extend the state’s mask mandate. “I do have a mom …

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 …

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