Press Play with Madeleine Brand
As CDC lifts mask mandate, California says not so fast
A lot of confusion happened over the weekend after the CDC said fully vaccinated people could shed their masks in most situations, including in stores, restaurants, and hair salons.
By Madeleine Brand • • 9m ListenA lot of confusion happened over the weekend after the CDC said fully vaccinated people could shed their masks in most situations, including in stores, restaurants, and hair salons. Business owners worried about how to distinguish between those who are fully inoculated and those who are not.
Today California public health officials clarified. They are keeping the current restrictions in place for another month. California won’t adopt the CDC’s new guidelines for masking until June 15, when the state fully reopens.
The state’s top public health official, Dr. Mark Ghaly, says the delay is needed to get businesses fully prepared and to get more people vaccinated.
Still, other states are moving ahead with the CDC’s recommendation.
Madeleine Brand
Host, 'Press Play'
Sarah Sweeney
Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW
Angie Perrin
Producer, Press Play
Michell Eloy
Line Editor, Press Play
Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo
chair of UC San Francisco’s department of epidemiology and biostatistics
Dan Diamond
White House reporter for the Washington Post