Long Beach Update on COVID-19 and Masks

LONG BEACH —As of March 2, Mayor Robert Garcia reported that 88% of adults and over 99% of seniors in Long Beach have been vaccinated — and the city’s efforts have been lauded as a model for the rest of the country. Garcia continued, Long Beach was the first city in California to vaccinate public school teachers and educators, and the city built on this success by moving quickly to vaccinate food and dock workers early last year.

“Vaccines and boosters are continuing to prevent hospitalization and serious illness and have saved countless lives in our community,” Garcia said.

Because of the city’s vaccination program and the recent decline in COVID-19 cases, during the past week, Long Beach has joined the State of California and County of Los Angeles to take steps reducing the scope of its indoor mask mandate. 

Some key changes for residents include:

• People who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to, but no longer required to wear masks in most indoor settings,
• Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people must continue to wear masks in indoor public settings and businesses,
  • Examples include, but are not limited to, retail, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state and local government offices serving the public.
• Regardless of vaccination status, everyone must continue to wear face masks in certain indoor settings,
  • These include public transit, emergency shelters and cooling/heating centers, healthcare settings, correctional facilities and detention centers, homeless shelters, long-term care settings and adult and senior care facilities.
• And lastly, the Long Beach Unified School District has announced plans to make masking strongly recommended, but not required, while indoors beginning on March 12 — in line with state guidelines.

You can read our updated health order with revised masking guidance here and view the school district’s announcement here.