SAN DIEGO — Wearing masks inside businesses will no longer be required for most people after the statewide mandate expires at midnight on February 15.
The mandate was initially supposed to end in January, but was extended another month.
"For the most part, everybody is super excited," said 24 Hour Fitness manager, Steve Snook.
Snook says both members and his team are gearing up for the change, which could bring more people into the gym.
"Our team members will be able to see more smiling faces, more excitement, more people will be allowed to come in based on the fact they didn't want to come in wearing mask so this great across the board," said Snook.
That sense of excitement can be felt at the Beauty Lounge Medical Spa in San Marcos, where owner Shawnda Dorantes has been fielding several calls from customers anxious to prepare.
"We've been getting tons of inquiries for facial services. Everybody is like the mask is coming off, I have to fix my skin. I wasn’t ready," said Dorantes.
While vaccinated people can ditch the masks after midnight Tuesday, according to state officials, those who are unvaccinated must continue to keep them on, though it's up to individual businesses to decide how to enforce the rules.
Also, masking will still be required regardless of vaccination status on public transit, in healthcare settings, homeless shelters as well as childcare facilities and K through 12 schools.
"Over the past two years, we have faced mandate after mandate and no support from Sacramento bureaucrats," said Andrew Hayes with the group, ‘School Board Members for Local Control.’
The group held a news conference Monday, calling on Governor Newsom to allow for local control when it comes to implementing mask protocols for students and staff.
"No more one size fits all policies. Let school districts have local control to ensure we're able to provide a quality education for our students," said Hayes.
Newsom says he's working on an endemic plan for schools, the details of which could be released later this week.
For now though, the mask requirement in schools will remain.
During a briefing Monday afternoon, the state's Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Doctor Mark Ghaly said the state will reassess in two weeks on February 28th.
For more information on the statewide guidelines and when to wear a mask, CLICK HERE.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego Chamber of Commerce previews new tourism initiatives and pandemic aid for micro businesses (Feb. 2022).