LOS ANGELES (KNX) — California's rule mandating the wearing of masks in indoor public spaces has been extended another month, at least through Feb. 15, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
State Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly announced Wednesday that the mandate, which went into effect Dec. 15, 2021 and was set to expire Jan. 15, will continue through February for all Californians regardless of vaccination status.
"Omicron is here," Ghaly said in a news conference on Wednesday. "We can't abandon the tools that we've used to achieve our collective success throughout this pandemic."
The state mandate doubles up on similar rules in Los Angeles County, but will be the only masking rule in effect in Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.
Whether state officials opt to extend the mandate once again after Feb. 15 will be based on hospitalization rates and other markers of COVID's spread across California.
Related
