California public health officials say the state will adopt the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s new, looser mask guidelines starting on June 15.
That is the same date that Gov. Gavin Newsom has set as the target for a wider reopening where the state will drop its color-coded tiered reopening system, although the exact details around what that will entail have not been released.
State leaders say they want to take more time to prepare and determine possible steps on enforcement, including how to verify whether or not someone is vaccinated. The delay will also give local leaders and business owners ample time to determine whether or not they want to adopt the changes.
"This is in no way saying the CDC guidance is wrong or challenging that science," said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the state's Health and Human Services Agency.
Dr. Ghaly says that this also gives more people time to get vaccinated, including teenagers who have only recently been approved to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
“This four-week period will give Californians time to prepare for this change,” he explained. “Four weeks between now and June 15 allows a number of Californians who may be eligible to get vaccinated but were considering waiting a little longer - now that they see there will be less masking in our communities, they may decide this is the week to get vaccinated.”
Last week, the CDC updated its guidance to say that it is safe for fully vaccinated people to go without face masks in almost every context, except for crowded or high-risk indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals and homeless shelters.
But today's announcement means that in California, fully vaccinated people will still have to wear masks indoors in public settings like restaurants, offices and stores for several more weeks. They do not have to wear masks outdoors unless they are in a crowded space like a sporting event or concert.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after getting the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines or two weeks after the single dose Johnson & Johnson shot.
Some other states have already adopted the CDC's new guidelines, including Oregon and Washington, while Hawaii says it will keep its mask mandate in place. Many other states had already lifted mask rules before the CDC made its recommendation.
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