Gov. Gavin Newsom seems ready to eliminate mask requirements in schools, as his counterparts in New Jersey, Oregon and Connecticut did this week. But Newsom cannot go where teachers unions aren’t ready, as was the case with school reopening a year ago.

“They just asked for a little bit more time, and I think that’s responsible, and I respect that,” the governor said of teachers unions at a news conference Wednesday. “But we are also in a date with destiny. We recognize that we want to turn the page on the status quo.”…

California’s top priority is to keep schools open, state epidemiologist Erica Pan said — and that may mean sticking with masks even as the requirements for California businesses expire next week.

“Frankly, schools have been an extremely safe place to be, especially with masks,” Pan said Tuesday during a webinar with other medical professionals hosted by the California Medical Association.