California will soon lift the mask mandate for children in schools and child care facilities, but experts say the move is premature.
Aragón said a variety of factors went into the state’s decision to lift the mandate, including the rate of new coronavirus cases, the number of vaccinated Californians, how many people the omicron variant infected and the lessons learned about COVID-19 over the last two plus years.
Swartzberg questions the decision, noting that last June California did not follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to lift mask mandates because the state’s rate back then was 3 new cases per 100,000 people. He wants to see the rate at least that low again before students are allowed to pocket their face coverings.
Plus, a mask in a school setting, Aragón said, has been just one tool to reduce transmission. Now, schools will need to focus on ventilation, getting kids to stay home when they are sick and other precautions. Mask rule changes for schools and child care sites have been slower to come from the state than for restaurants, retail stores or public events.