Despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement that masks will no longer be required in California schools, San Francisco public school students will still be required to mask-up after March 11.
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San Francisco Unified School District revealed Monday that they will make no changes to their masking protocols, as masking indoors reduces the spread of COVID-19 and ensures safety in the classroom.
"Masking is one of the least burdensome policies on schools and is effective at curbing transmission," district officials stated in a public announcement. "It helps prevent infections among students and staff and their families, and reduces missed school days."
Newsom's announcement prompted a mixed bag of feelings from school faculty and parents across the state.
In a statement, the California Teachers Association was quick to encourage schools to prioritize the safety of students and warned that some children may not feel comfortable removing their masks immediately.
However, CA Parent Power, a parent-led organization, demanded Monday that California lift its school mask requirement on March 1 rather than March 11.
"Delay until March 11 means CA kids are last to be restored to normalcy," the organization argued. "The statewide indoor mask mandate was lifted on February 15th, so it defies reason that California students have to wait an additional month to remove their masks if they choose."
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary, said in a press release Monday that he supports Newsom and the California Public Health Department's decision, saying it's the right time for the in-school mask mandate to be lifted.
"It is the right moment to transition from that requirement to that strong recommendation" that kids wear masks at school but not be required to, after March 11. "We're not just moving from required to optional," he reiterated. Masks will still be "strongly recommended" at California schools as of March 12, and later could be phased down to just "recommended" before getting to "optional."
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