California removes indoor mask mandate
As the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak declines, California removed its universal indoor mask mandate starting February 15.
Masks will still be required for unvaccinated individuals and those in sensitive areas such as nursing homes or public transit systems, regardless of vaccination status.
The indoor masking requirement was originally due to be lifted on January 15 but was extended another month because of the rise in COVID-19 cases at the start of the new year due to the Omicron variant.
However, the average number of cases in California has been steadily declining the past few weeks, leading to the shift in the mask mandate.
Moreover, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that capacities for indoor and outdoor mega events could increase back to pre-surge guidelines, from 500 to 1,000 attendees for indoor events and 5,000 to 10,000 attendees for outdoor events.
However, this decision comes with reluctance from other health officials.
Doctors attending a campus discussion at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) called for discretion about ditching masks too quickly and cautioned that there is still a lot of uncertainty about how many more surges might transpire.
“It feels a little premature to take masks away,” said Dr. Sarah Doernberg, an associate professor of infectious diseases at UCSF. “I think we need to see more time to understand what’s going to happen.”
With most California hospital beds still heavily occupied, some experts advise people to make personal decisions about wearing masks, irrespective of the mandate expiring.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease expert at UCSF, said that he would most likely continue wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings like Costco.
According to CDPH last month, the mandate was prolonged because the universal masking requirement has been proven to decrease the rate of infections and slow community transmission.
In addition, a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that wearing a mask in indoor settings resulted in significantly lower odds of testing positive for COVID-19 compared to not wearing a mask.
Despite the universal mask mandate being proven effective, many people are eager to return to pre-pandemic life. A recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that 73 percent of adult Americans are overwhelmingly frustrated with the pandemic.
Dr. Stanley H. Weiss, professor of epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health, said the decision to lift the mask mandate could reflect that sentiment.
“Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under five are around the corner and access to COVID-19 treatments is improving,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, the director and state public health officer of the CDPH.
Aragón said given the decrease in the Omicron surge, CDPH is making responsible modifications to COVID-19 prevention measures and focusing on developing a long-term action plan.
Although controversial amongst the professional community, the removal of California’s universal indoor mask mandate appears to be set in place indefinitely.
Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UCSF, said the Omicron surge of the pandemic appears to be nearing its end.
“What variants emerge after is really pretty much anyone’s guess,” Rutherford said. “There’s just no predicting them, unfortunately.”