California’s statewide indoor mask mandate requirement will expire on Feb. 15 for vaccinated residents, officials announced on Feb. 7, citing a peak in Omicron virus variant cases. Unvaccinated residents will still be required to mask up indoors, along with those in certain statewide facilities, such as health care settings and K–12 schools. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the end to the mandate Monday afternoon on Twitter, noting the COVID-19 positivity rate in the state has decreased by 65 percent and hospitalizations have stabilized. The move will have no immediate impact in Los Angeles County, which has a local indoor mask-wearing requirement in place. But the state’s move means the requirement will be lifted in counties that do not have a mask mandate, such as Orange, San Diego, and Riverside counties. The requirements for all residents regardless of vaccination status to wear a mask indoors began in December 2021. While the mask mandate …
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