When will California ease mask, vaccine rules? Officials warn ‘back to normal’ takes time
SAN FRANCISCO — With the omicron surge fading fast and people clamoring for a return to pre-pandemic life, public health officials in California and beyond are facing new pressure to relax mask and vaccine safety rules.
But many remain wary of declaring victory, aware that new variants are possible in the months ahead. Hopes for a definitive end to the pandemic have been dashed many times, they say, and it would be unwise to drop both masking and vaccine requirements when such uncertainty remains.
Instead, health officials are urging smaller steps.
“This phase of the pandemic is nearing its end. I think that’s clear,” University of California, San Francisco epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford said at a campus meeting last week. “What variants emerge after that is really pretty much anyone’s guess. ... There’s just no predicting them, unfortunately.”
Some California counties are beginning to repeal vaccination mandates to enter certain
