California State Governor Gavin Newsom recently released more details regarding the state’s plan to ease restrictions on wearing face masks in public for residents who wish to go outside without covering.
By June 15, the mask mandate will be removed, but only if virus cases and hospitalization rates continue to decrease. Newsom said that the state will continue to implement some guidelines for other indoor locations.
Mask Mandates
“I want to clarify that we will be updating our mask guidelines, outdoor masking if we reach that threshold where we hope to be. For indoor activities, we will still likely have some mask guidelines and mandates. But we hope sooner than later that those will be lifted as well,” Newsom said.
On Tuesday night, Newsom said masks will only be required in indoor settings where a lot of people gather. The state governor’s recent announcement clarified confusion among residents and news outlets of what activities would still require masks starting on June 15.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set to announce revisions to its mask guidelines. However, Newsom did not specify if the state would follow the federal government’s guidelines.
The CDC is set to ease is restrictions on face masks for residents who have been fully vaccinated. This would allow them to go out in public without facial coverings in the majority of activities, the San Francisco Gate reported.
However, the new guidelines would still require face masks for indoor areas such as public transport, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters. The agency said that reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues can expect fewer restrictions for people who are fully vaccinated.
