California allows school children to enter classroom without masks
LIVERMORE, Calif. - For the first time in two years, the state of California on Monday is now allowing students to enter the classroom without masks.
It's now up to individual counties and school districts to decide whether they'll enforce mask requirements.
Public health leaders now say a combination of low COVID-19 infection and high vaccination rates now make it safe enough for all students with or without vaccines to learn inside a classroom mask free.
At Rancho Las Positas Elementary School in Livermore, some students will experience a day of learning without a mask for the first time in their learning career.
The Livermore Valley School District announced mask mandates would move from a requirement to a strong recommendation.
Same with Berkeley Unified.
South Bay school district serving economically disadvantaged community extends mask mandate
Alum Rock Union School District is extending their mask mandate, but with many students coming from multi-generational households, and the socio-economic disadvantages they face, many seem to be okay with this decision.
A San Francisco doctor who represents a local chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics supports the move.
Dr. Yasuko Fukuda said the community should still consider other protocols to continue keeping the spread of virus at a minimum.
"We know that immunizations keep you safe," she said. "Don't go to school if you are sick, so that everyone is respectful of keeping your community safe so that kids can be in school."
Not all districts in Alameda County will make the shift on Monday.
Students at Oakland Unified School District will still need to wear masks on campus for at least another month.
In the South Bay, Alum Rock Union School District is keeping their indoor mask mandate through the end of the school year.