As the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) indoor mask mandate will be lifted starting tomorrow, many students like senior Adam Martinez plan to continue wearing masks.

“I won’t criticize people if they choose not to wear it but just to keep myself safe, I’m going to keep wearing it,” Martinez said.

After lifting the outdoor mask mandate last month, the school district announced that there will be no more indoor mask requirements for all LAUSD students and staff starting tomorrow. Masks will no longer be required indoors but instead will be strongly recommended. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho made a public statement saying he strongly supports the mandate lift and will continue to uphold a science-based approach to COVID-19 safety protocols. 

“I trust the district personnel and I believe that there was a vote on it,” Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) Principal Armen Petrossian said. “I trust the district folks to give me that choice to make myself feel comfortable.”

This past weekend, 84% of the teachers union members voted to approve the mandate. As part of the agreement between the union and the district, weekly COVID-19 testing will still continue. According to Petrossian, approximately 96% of DPMHS students are vaccinated. In October, a district mandate went into effect requiring all staff and faculty to be vaccinated. 

Despite this, many students aren’t yet ready to take off their masks. Some feel uncomfortable taking off their masks and some feel that it is still too early to remove them. Many students are expressing their concerns over this new change.

“I feel that it’s still too soon to lift the mandate,” freshman Alia Galvan said. “A lot of people are still getting sick and there’s still cases every week. (It’s) good for some people who are tired of the mask but I feel that as long as I have the choice to keep my mask on, I will keep my mask on.”

This lift will be in effect for the rest of the school year and further discussion will be held in regards to the safety protocols for next school year. Weekly COVID-19 testing will also continue until the end of the school year. 

“Some students have decided to keep their masks on even outside, so that’s a personal choice that I completely respect,” Petrossian said. “I hope everybody honors that personal wish.”

Delilah Brumer contributed to this report.