California governor says mask mandate to end after June 15

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday the nation's most populous state would stop requiring people to wear masks in almost all circumstances on June 15, describing a world he said will look “a lot like the world we entered into before the pandemic.”

“We're not wearing face coverings. We're not restricted in any way, shape or form from doing the old things that we used to do, save for huge, large-scale indoor convention events like that, where we use our common sense,” Newsom said in an interview with Fox 11's Elex Michaelson.

California has required people to wear masks in public places since June 18. The guidance requires people to wear a mask when gathering indoors with people who are not vaccinated. Fully vaccinated people can meet indoors without wearing a mask. They can also not wear a mask outdoors, except when attending large gatherings such as sporting events, festivals and concerts.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering changing its workplace mask rules later this month. The proposed rules would not require employees to wear masks indoors if all workers are fully vaccinated and no one has coronavirus symptoms, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Last month, Newsom announced he would lift most of the state's coronavirus restrictions on June 15 if the state's coronavirus case numbers continued to improve. But at the time, Newsom and state public health officials said the state would not lift the mask mandate after June 15.

Tuesday, Newsom appeared to change his mind about that, telling Fox 11 that the state would only require masks “only for those massively large settings where people from around the world, not just around the country, are conversing.”

“We'll make guidance recommendations, but no...