On Monday, the California Department of Health and Human Services announced it will reinstate masking requirements for indoor public settings statewide. This change will go into effect on Wednesday, December 15th until January 15th. In a press conference, HHS Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly says this is to combat the rise of covid-19 being seen in California as well as in anticipation of an expected 4th surge. Dr. Ghaly says this mandate will cover 50% of the state population that live in counties without a current masking mandate.

Two additional changes have been made. For unvaccinated attendees of large gatherings, which is greater than 1000 people, a negative covid test is required for entry. That test must now have been taken one day prior to the event if it’s an antigen test and two days if it’s a PCR test. This is down from the previous 72-hour interval.  The third change is a recommendation for people traveling into California. They’re asking travelers to get tested within 3 to 5 days of their arrival.