“California’s rules will still allow counties, cities and individual businesses to set their own rules for mask wearing, meaning some local governments and private businesses could still continue requiring residents and customers to use face coverings.” – The Sacramento Bee
Responding to new mask-wearing guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Newsom Administration announced on Monday, May 17, 2021, that Californians will not need to wear masks in most indoor and outdoor settings starting June 15. Governor Newsom has previously announced his intention to reopen the state’s economy on June 15 and appears to be set to include rolling back current mask-wearing mandates at the same time.
The Newsom Administration’s new policy will conform to CDC guidance, reflecting California’s continued commitment to aligning state policy with independent science from public health experts. In light of the CDC guidance, New York has announced its intention to lift mask mandates within days, and many other states are doing the same. But California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly believes waiting a few weeks is better to give “California time to prepare and think through the implementation of these new guidelines from the CDC.”