News Update

Berkeley Unified returns to indoor mask mandate

Due to a surge in Covid cases, Berkeley Unified is requiring students, staff and visitors at Berkeley Unified to wear masks indoors starting immediately, the district announced.

The decision, which comes two weeks before the end of the school year, was based on a recommendation from the city’s public health director. The district’s Covid dashboard shows steep increases in the number of positive Covid cases at many schools, including Berkeley High, where the number of cases went from 8 in March to 86 so far in May.

“Our collective goal in the final weeks of school is to ensure the last two weeks and accompanying celebrations can be attended by as many of our students and families as possible,” Superintendent Brent Stephens.

–Carolyn Jones