California delays decision on lifting school mask mandate

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - California Governor Gavin Newsom delayed a closely watched decision on lifting the state's school mask mandate Monday, even as other Democratic governors around the country have dropped them in recent weeks.

While many Californians will be able to remove masks in most indoor settings starting Tuesday, schoolchildren and teachers will have to wait.

This decision came just one day before California lifts its mask mandate for most indoor settings for vaccinated people.

As of Tuesday, unvaccinated people will still be required to be masked indoors, and everyone — vaccinated or not — will have to wear masks in higher-risk settings like public transit and nursing homes.

It also comes a week after a half dozen other states controlled by Democrats, including Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and Oregon, announced plans to end statewide school mask mandates by the end of February or March.

“The message today, which I hope is clear, is today a change isn’t being made,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said in an online announcement. Ghaly said his department will reassess on Feb. 28 whether the rule should change.