Mask requirements dropped for California students starting March 12

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - As COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations continue to drop across the West, masking guidance is being updated starting at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 11.

Starting at that time, masks will no longer be required in schools in South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, and districts across California, Oregon, and Washington.

The governors of each state, Newson, Brown, and Inslee, issued the joint statement on Monday.

With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the West, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance. After 11:59 p.m. on March 11, California, Oregon and Washington will adopt new indoor mask policies and move from mask requirements to mask recommendations in schools. School districts in areas still experiencing high hospitalization rates may still require masks.

Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) said they will continue to follow the requirements of the executive order of Governor Newsome and the guidance of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Masks will continue to be required for all staff, students, and persons on school campuses through March 11.

After March 11, students and staff may continue to wear a mask if they choose to.

"California continues to adjust our policies based on the latest data and science, applying what we’ve learned over the past two years to guide our response to the pandemic," said Governor Newsom. "Masks are an effective tool to minimize spread of the virus and future variants, especially when transmission rates are high. We cannot predict the future of the virus, but we are better prepared for it and will continue to take measures rooted in science to keep California moving forward.”

In California, starting March 1, masks will no longer be required for unvaccinated individuals but will be strongly recommended for all individuals in most indoor settings.

After March 11, in schools and child care facilities, masks will not be required but will be strongly recommended. Masks will still be required for everyone in high transmission settings like public transit, emergency shelters, health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and long-term care facilities. As always, local jurisdictions may have additional requirements beyond the state guidance. El Dorado County has previously followed the CDPH guidelines.