Parents, students react to lifting of indoor mask mandate at schools across Southland
Students across the State of California were able to remove their masks while in class for the first time in nearly two years Monday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the move on Feb. 28, noting that the decision was based on the latest data and science across the state, which have continually shown rapidly declining COVID-19 over recent weeks. It falls in line with the lifting of the statewide indoor mask mandate on Feb. 15, and Los Angeles County's similar move on March 4.
The decision was met with both support and concern -- par for the course on the highly divisive topic of masks.
CBS reporters on hand at one local school detailed that dozens of students could be seen both with and without masks as they headed into class Monday.
"We don't really have to be fully-vaccinated, and that just kind of makes me nervous," said one student.
Students were allowed to decide whether they wanted to wear a mask or not, encouraged to make their own choice based on personal preference. School officials urged kindness regardless of a student's decision, noting that many families have differing circumstances at home.
"He likes to be more on the safe side," said the boy's parent, Jose Osuma. "He's going to wear the mask for awhile - until he feels comfortable."
As the coronavirus pandemic heads into its third year, parents have attributed the uncertainty to their decision in asking their children to remain masked up.
"There's other kids here, and you don't know if they're vaccinated or not," said one parent at Addams Elementary in Long Beach. "So, I don't think that's a good idea for the kids not to wear a mask right now."
Many families maintained that the change was long overdue, especially with so many other states lifting their mandates well in advance of California.
Louisa Archuleta was inline with that line of thinking, noting the relief she felt when she heard the news. "I was so happy because I want my daughter to breath," she said.
Her daughter, currently in kindergarten, also spoke with CBS reporters, whom she told she was happy to leave her mask at home.
Others expressed concerns that since parents don't know how many, and which other students are or aren't vaccinated.
"I guess it's up to every individual if they feel comfortable with their kids taking it off," said one mother who spoke with CBS reporters.
The choice was then left up to individual school districts, with local districts like the Long Beach Unified School District joining the ranks of the dozens of other districts statewide to remove the requirement.
Even with the state's guidance in place, Los Angeles Unified School District officials declined to adopt the changes, planning instead to follow guidance from Los Angeles County Public Health Department recommendations. The districts was also one of the last in the area to remove their outdoor mask mandate, a move that came on February 22.
However, the district did disclose that they are working with labor partners - including the teacher's union - to fall in line with the rest of Californian school districts.
The topic is set for discussion again on Wednesday.