LOS ANGELES — The indoor masking requirement for students and staff will be lifted next Wednesday in the Los Angeles Unified School District, officials announced.
In reaching a deal, the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles, dropped its demand that masks remain in place until a particular percentage of students and staff had been vaccinated against COVID-19. The union had originally asked for a 75% threshold, which would have been difficult to achieve at elementary campuses. County health officials recently estimated that 29% of children ages 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated.
The deal also includes a commitment to keep in place required weekly coronavirus testing for all staff and students, which costs about $5 million per week, through the end of the school year.
