California is letting its indoor mask mandate expire for fully vaccinated people

California will end the indoor masking requirement on Feb. 15 for vaccinated individuals.

However, the mandate still applies for schoolchildren and those who are unvaccinated, state health officials announced on Monday, according to CBS News.

California had brought back the masking requirement in mid-December during the surge in omicron variant cases.

In a tweet, Gov. Gavin Newsom said: “CA’s case rate has decreased by 65% since our Omicron peak. Our hospitalizations have stabilized across the state.”

• “Our statewide indoor mask requirement will expire on 2/15,” he said, adding, “Unvaccinated people will still need to wear masks indoors.”

According to KTLA, Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, the state’s director of public health and health officer, said: “Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under 5 are around the corner and access to COVID-19 treatments is improving.”

• “With things moving in the right direction, we are making responsible modifications to COVID-19 prevention measures, while also continuing to develop a longer-term action plan for the state.”

According to NBC News, about 70% of Californians are vaccinated and, as of Monday, 69.4% of the state’s population was fully vaccinated.

Elsewhere: Delaware extended its school mask mandate while relaxing it for businesses and workplaces.

• Connecticut will end its mask mandate on Feb. 28, according to The New York Times.