California Department of Public Health

September 14, 2022

California lifts vaccine mandate for school staff

State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón rescinded a public health order requiring that all school employees show proof of vaccination or be tested at least weekly. The new policy is effective Sept. 17.

Diana Lambert

September 1, 2022

Thousands without childhood vaccinations unable to return to school

Families fell behind on wellness checkups during the pandemic, others became vaccine hesitant and still others had vaccine fatigue. The result has been a decline in childhood vaccinations and more students who can't attend school on campuses.

Diana Lambert

February 17, 2022

Some California school districts are defying mask mandate

California districts, especially those in conservative areas of the state, are under pressure to allow students to attend school unmasked.

Diana Lambert

January 31, 2022

What are the best masks for children to wear at school during the omicron surge? | Quick Guide

Due to the omicron variant's higher transmissibility, medical experts are recommending avoiding cloth masks and surgical masks in favor of higher-quality KN95 or KF94 masks.

Ali Tadayon

November 4, 2021

What's next for schools after Covid vaccine OK’d for children?

Some parents are hoping schools will ease masking and testing requirements, but that could still be months away.

Carolyn Jones

September 15, 2021

‘Pool testing’ to combat Covid on campus grows popular in California schools

Testing up to 25 asymptomatic students and staff together can save time and money in some scenarios, with minimal disruption to instruction.

Carolyn Jones

September 7, 2021

Covid testing was supposed to keep schools safe. What happened?

Covid test shortages and inconsistent protocols at schools are leaving California parents confused and frustrated.

Carolyn Jones

March 26, 2021

What 3-foot social distance means for reopening of California schools

Some districts will pivot quickly and return to full in-person instruction now; others say they can now start planning for the fall.

Diana Lambert And John Fensterwald

February 16, 2021

Federal guidelines for school reopening are less rigorous than state’s on several key measures

State and federal guidelines are similar in many respects, but California is stricter on when Covid rates permit schools to reopen.

John Fensterwald

December 22, 2020

Teachers and school staff in California increasingly likely to get vaccine in next round

State and federal health officials say prioritizing teachers and school staff will allow schools to reopen sooner for in-person instruction.

Diana Lambert

August 26, 2020

California issues rules for opening schools to high-needs students

Special education, homeless and foster students are priority groups that can return in separate cohorts with up to 14 children and two adults.

John Fensterwald

August 21, 2020

California schools ordered to close in-person instruction after counties were put on watch list

Conflicting direction from the state added to confusion over whether schools could continue in-person instruction in Mendocino County.

Theresa Harrington

August 10, 2020

Data glitches delay whether California districts can seek waiver for in-person instruction

Backlog of records is expected to be added to county data within 72 hours, which will allow the state to unfreeze its county monitoring list.

Theresa Harrington

August 7, 2020

Glitches in California’s Covid-19 data could be fixed within two days, state official says

After the data issues are resolved, counties will be able to make decisions about elementary school waivers, state official says.

Theresa Harrington

August 4, 2020

California health officials list conditions for an elementary school waiver

School districts, charter and private schools would have to meet safety requirements. Counties could limit the number of approvals.

John Fensterwald