Gov. Gavin Newsom's office announced Monday that California is lifting its school mask mandate, leaving it up to school districts and local communities to decide whether to require face masks in classrooms.
Translation: It looks like we're about to see a lot fewer students wearing face masks in school.
Thanks to declining COVID-19 case rates and fewer hospitalizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased up on its masking recommendations on Friday.
We've been in this pandemic long enough to know that face mask mandates may come back if there's another nasty variant, but it sure is wonderful that students will be able to show their smiles after a two-year hiatus.