California's universal indoor mask mandate is ending, but there are exceptions

Members lift their masks at San Ramon gym

California's indoor mask mandate ended on Wednesday for many spots and many members were happy to exercise without them at a San Ramon gym. Emma Goss reports

OAKLAND, Calif. - California is allowing people vaccinated against COVID to take off their masks indoors on Tuesday at midnight, but that change doesn't apply to all indoor settings.

Several places – including Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties – have said they are choosing a stricter path and that masks must stay on inside offices, gyms, restaurants and other spaces. The other eight Bay Area counties will follow the state rule that permits unvaccinated people to remove facial coverings,

But there are other categories of indoor settings where the requirement will stay in effect regardless of a person's vaccination status. They include:

Buses, BART trains, Muni cars, and other forms of public transportation.
Airports and aboard airplanes.
K-12 schools in California. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said his department will reassess on Feb. 28 whether the rule should change.
Doctors' offices, hospitals, and other medical facilities
Group settings like jails and correctional facilities as well as shelters for people who are homeless and long-term care centers.
County courthouses including those in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties.
Business owners and venue operators may choose to require masks for their workers and customers.

The city of Vallejo has a mask mandate that the city council said it would review at its February 15 meeting.

On Monday, Ghaly said that COVID-19 cases in California have dropped by more than 75% since mid-January.

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