Governor Newsom Lifts Mask Mandate for Public Schools

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that starting March 12th, students and staff will no longer have to wear masks in school. Immediate reactions from staff are positive.

“For the children, it’s not going to be anything but positive. Having to try and learn and communicate with your mouth covered is very difficult for young children,” says Nikki Jones, the mother of three and Dos Palos Elementary secretary.

Multiple new rules are being implemented. The most controversial of them up is that teachers no longer have Covid sick days unless they contract the virus from their own class. If they get the virus from outside of the workplace, Covid is treated as any other sickness.

“My own husband just got Covid, and thankfully I didn’t get it. If I had, my sick days currently under the new rule, wouldn’t be covered. I feel like it’s not fair, because it’s not our fault that this pandemic is happening,” said Crystal Guerrero, a first grade teacher

Despite some pushback on the new rules, everyone is ecstatic to return to the way things were two years ago.

“I think anytime we can get students in seats in school, it’s going to have a positive effect on the students. I believe that we’re following all of the rules and everybody’s being safe,” says Robin Pinto, a first grade teacher.

It has been a long journey but we finally may be returning to normalcy.