Masks no longer required in one of US’s largest public school districts

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the country’s second-largest public school district, will no longer require masks starting next week. 

The district announced Friday it had reached an agreement with labor groups in order to abolish mask requirements and only “strongly recommend” them. 

The school said the policy will be enacted no later than March 23.

“I strongly support ending the indoor mask requirement and am committed to continuing to uphold our science-based approach to COVID-19 safety and protocols,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said. 

“I want to personally thank our students, employees and families for their support and patience. We know some in our school communities and offices will continue to wear masks, while others may not,” he continued. “Please consider your situation and do what is best for you or your child. Now that this important issue is behind us, it is time to focus on each student’s full academic potential.”

The change comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said most areas in the U.S. do not need to mask indoors and all states have dropped their indoor mask mandates. 

The school district has required masks as well as COVID-19 vaccinations throughout the pandemic. 

The dropped COVID-19 restrictions comes two years after the beginning of the pandemic as cases have fallen dramatically.

However, infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has warned of an increase in case rates in the near future, but said it is unclear if it will be a surge like previous COVID-19 waves.