Some California school districts aren’t waiting for the end of mask mandates

CALIFORNIA ENDED ITS mask mandate for fully vaccinated people Feb. 15 for all but school staff and students, prompting protests across the state. Most school districts are sending unmasked students home, but the number of schools that are welcoming them is growing.

The state will likely drop its school mask mandate sometime after Feb. 28, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced at a news conference this past Monday. Until then, state health officials will review student vaccination rates, COVID case numbers, hospitalization rates and national and global trends to determine an appropriate time to drop the mandate, he said.