California’s easing some COVID rules — too soon, too slow?
As COVID-19 cases subside in California, state health officials Monday announced they will end vaccination and testing requirements for visiting nursing homes, and next week will ease similar restrictions on large events and the statewide indoor face mask mandate.
But one group of Californians — the state’s 6 million school children — won’t get much of a break from the pandemic rules. California’s requirement that they wear masks inside classrooms and other school buildings remains in place for now, even though New Jersey said Monday it will end a similar rule in a month. “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, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “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.” But the public health department said Monday that California “is 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.” That didn’t sit well with parent advocates who have been losing patience with the requirement that kids and adults continue to mask up for hours in all K-12 buildings, even as rules allow diners and bar patrons to remove face coverings while eating and drinking indoors. “Children across California haven’t known a normal school day for almost 2 years,” said Megan Bacigalupi, Executive Director CA Parent Power, a group that advocates for parents in public education, whose sons attend Oakland Unified schools. “With vaccines, treatments and immunity from the omicron surge, the onus should now be on public health officials to prove the benefits of masks outweigh the harms,” Bacigalupi said. “Many parents believe they do not and have appealed to state leadership to make them optional at the same time restrictions are removed for adults next week.” California lifted most of its statewide COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and requirements last June in a bid to reopen businesses, as vaccinations increased and new infections declined. Under the statewide rule, only unvaccinated people needed to wear face masks indoors. But the state continued to require masks in schools. And when the highly transmissible omicron variant of the virus sent case rates soaring last fall, California reimposed the indoor mask requirement for other public areas regardless of vaccination, and extended it last month to Feb. 15. On Jan. 7, California required that visitors to long-term care facilities such as nursing homes show proof of being vaccinated, having a booster shot and having a negative test for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The order was set to expire Feb. 7, and the state health department said Monday it would not be extended. California in December also tightened the vaccination or test requirements for large events. The state had previously required proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for indoor events of more than 1,000 people. The requirement was extended in December to indoor events of more than 500 people, but will return to the 1,000 threshold after Feb. 15. The threshold for the state recommendation of vaccine proof or a negative COVID-19 test for outdoor events will revert after Feb. 15 to those of more than 10,000 people from the current more than 5,000 people imposed in December.
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