The Huntington Beach, California, city council on Wednesday voted 4-3 to ban COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates amid mounting pressure to return to pandemic policies.
The city hall and other parts of the city in 2020 and 2021 "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," Gracey Van Der Mark, mayor pro tem said, according to Fox News Los Angeles.
The city council vote stands in contrast to the policies ushered in by California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Newsom slammed Orange County leaders after Huntington Beach opened its beaches despite efforts to close all state beaches, according to Breitbart.
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.