Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger today released the following statement in response to California’s lifting of mandatory masking mandates in schools:
“I applaud our state’s decision to end masking mandates in school settings in the coming days. This is a much needed step in the right direction. It gives local jurisdictions the right to decide whether their children should wear masks in educational settings. Those decisions should be made based on local data, along with parent and staff input.
During tomorrow’s L.A. County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, our county’s public health director has committed to articulating a plan for how L.A. county will adjust its masking mandates and restrictions. I look forward to that discussion and will continue to call for clarity and consistency with state and federal guidelines.
It’s clear to me that, as the Omicron surge continues to decrease in L.A. County, we need to implement flexible COVID-19 infection control policies and move away from rigid approaches. The time for compulsory masking mandates has come to an end.”