Huntington Beach City Council Bans Mask and Vaccine Mandates

The Huntington Beach City Council voted 4-3 early on Wednesday to approve a ban on all mask and vaccine mandates, becoming the latest city to do so as some mask mandates start to return because of an upswing of COVID-19 cases.

During the COVID-19 epidemic in the early 2020’s, Huntington Beach was one of the more defiant cities to the statewide ban in California. Many residents went out without masks to places where masks were required. Residents also held some of the largest mask protests in the state despite Huntington Beach only having a population of 196,000. Residents also protested outside during curfew hours very publicly along side the Pacific Coast Highway. And when state mandates were finally lifted in early 2022, the city dropped mandates as soon as possible, everywhere from  city offices to schools.

While COVID-19 cases have been dramatically low for well over a year, the number of cases began to increase in recent months, with new variants in large part responsible for the climb. According to state data, the positivity rate climbed from 4% in early June to 14% at the beginning of this month. The number of new hospital admissions for COVID-19 also climbed dramatically during this time. As a result, some schools and businesses have brought back temporary mandates in recent weeks. Many hospitals have also brought back such practices. While some have advocated for a return to masking since the end of the mandate last year, it had resonated until recently.

Not wanting a return to mandates, Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark introduced a motion on Tuesday to ban mask and vaccine mandates in the city. Specifically, the motion said previous mask mandates “unnecessarily limited the freedoms of the citizens of Huntington Beach, even those who were not around anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 or at risk of any exposure.” It also states that “Individuals, whether at City Hall or in the private sector, should have a right to choose whether to wear a mask or get vaccinated or boosted.”

A new motion against mask mandates

On Wednesday, the motion was officially brought to a vote. While some were worried about what the full extent of the ban would be, it was clarified that it would apply only to city personnel and not private businesses, which can choose to do what they want. People who recently tested positive are also exempted, requiring to wear a mask under a limited set of circumstances.

While many Councilmembers approved, other raised points against it. Some noted that the motion would not be able to replace any future state mandate orders. Others noted that there have been no signs that large-scale mandates would be returning any time soon.

“This is a ridiculous motion,” said Councilman Dan Kalmick. “There is no evidence that mandates are forthcoming despite the increase in cases. It was a straw man argument that this is going to happen. No one is talking about universal mask or vaccine mandates.”

Despite the opposition, the motion passed 4-3 on Wednesday. Political experts said that additional such city decisions may take place around the state should local mandates continue to be imposed.

“Huntington Beach made it very clear where they stand,” explained Travis Cloud, a health care policy advisor, “Right now it isn’t so much about health as it is about other issues like personal rights and what is good for businesses. Beach cities like Huntington Beach were economically hit pretty badly during the pandemic, and that was compounded for them personally because of an oil spill that happened there a few years ago. They don’t want that to come back up again, so they’re making local decisions like these. If anything, they are making their position very clear.”

“We likely aren’t going to see any statewide mandates again. It would take another huge health emergency for that to happen. But places like Huntington Beach are making it known where they stand now.”

More city decisions regarding mandates will likely occur later this year as COVID cases continue to rise.