California only plans to drop indoor mask requirements for those who are fully vaccinated from June 15.
On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration announced that California will not be aligning with the CDC’s most recent mask guidance, until the full reopening next month. Meaning, masks will still be required for most indoor and outdoor settings in San Francisco.
The June 15 target reopening is designed to give businesses time to prepare for the new health and safety measures, along with other operational changes that will come with the return to an open state.
“Until June 15, when California plans to fully reopen the economy, California will keep our existing guidance around masks in place,” said the California Health and Human Services. “This four-week period will give Californians time to prepare for this change while we continue our relentless focus on delivering vaccines, particularly in underserved communities.” From June 15, those that are fully vaccinated (two weeks after receiving one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or two weeks after their second shot of the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines) will be allowed to be maskless except in particular settings. Namely, public transportation and in health care facilities like hospitals and nursing homes.
Currently, the state allows vaccinated people to be outdoors without wearing face coverings and to gather with other vaccinated people indoors.While California relaxed its mask regulations enough to allow vaccinated people to go maskless in outdoor settings and indoor gatherings with other vaccinated people, those regulations will still not apply for public indoor settings for another month.
