LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The California Department of Public Health is once again requiring masking for all public indoor settings.
The rule for universal indoor masking, which the agency announced this week, focuses on the holiday season, when people are more likely to travel and to be indoors in groups.
It is in effect as of Wednesday, Dec. 15, through Jan. 15. Surgical masks or higher-level respirators are recommended.
Masks are required regardless of vaccination status, CDPH said.
Exemptions remain in place for children under age 2; individuals with medical or mental health conditions or disabilities that prevent them from safely masking; those who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication; and others for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work.
State health officials announced the updated guidance in response to a 47% increase in California’s case rate since Thanksgiving, along with a 14% increase in hospitalizations statewide.
Hospitals are now at or near capacity, with the state noting that even a moderate case and hospitalization surge could impact the health care delivery system in certain regions of the state, CDPH reported.
CDPH said it’s also part of an effort to slow the spread of both Delta and the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the first U.S. case of which was detected in California earlier this month.
State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director, Dr. Tomás J. Aragón said the state is already seeing a higher level of transmission this winter “and it is important to act now to prevent overwhelming our busy hospitals so we can provide quality health care to all Californians.”
State officials reported that while overall vaccination rates are high, some areas of the state have lower vaccination rates.
As of Dec. 10, Lake County Public Health reported that 59% of county residents aged 5 years and older are fully vaccinated, with 7% partially vaccinated and 34% unvaccinated.
Aragón is continuing to urge Californians to be vaccinated or to get boosters to protect against COVID-19. “Testing and masking remain important tools in slowing the spread.”
Other updates CDPH announced this week include new requirements for mega events, with attendees required to provide proof of vaccination, a negative antigen COVID-19 test within one day of the event or a negative PCR test within two days of the event.
CDPH also has issued a travel advisory, recommending that all travelers arriving in California test for COVID-19 within three to five days after arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.
Actions and adjustments on the local level
During the course of the pandemic, masking guidance has been changed as health officials adjust to case rates and scientific data.
After California fully reopened on June 15, masking guidelines were loosened for a short period of time.
However, in July, when cases began to surge due to the Delta variant, local and state officials updated their guidelines.
At that time, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution strongly urging community members to take extra precautions by continuing to wear masks while indoors at public places. At that time, Lake County’s case rate was the highest in the state.
About a week later, CDPH said it would require masking for those who are unvaccinated and recommended it for all in indoor public settings.
CDPH followed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that focused in particular on indoor masking for all individuals in areas of “substantial or high transmission,” which at that point included 90% of the state, including Lake County.
In early August, the Board of Supervisors approved an urgency ordinance to once again require masking in county facilities and also passed an updated workplace protocol as Lake County’s COVID-19 case rate continued its late summer climb.
Since the summer, Lake County has gone from leading the state in case rate to, as of Dec. 14, being among the lowest in the state.
On Dec. 14, Lake County’s case rate per 100,000 for a seven-day average was six cases, making it the third-lowest rate statewide. That’s compared to Mono County, which has the highest case rate, 52 per 100,000.
Lake’s total cases were at 6,958 with 115 deaths, CDPH reported.
Information on local hospitalizations was not immediately available on Tuesday.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein said both the resolution and urgency ordinances for masking passed by the supervisors have remained in place.
Rothstein said county staff have reported no challenges to the local resolution and ordinance thus far, and none are expected as a result of the state order effective on Wednesday.
The urgency ordinance was amended on Nov. 23 to clarify the activation and suspension of the masking mandate triggers in county facilities for the public and staff, Rothstein said.
The mandate is activated when Lake County’s COVID-19 case rate exceeds 10 per 100,000 and when the testing positivity rate exceeds 8%, and both indicators have remained at or above said rates for a minimum of seven days.
When the case rate falls below 3.9 cases per 100,000 and testing positivity rate falls below 4.9% and both indicators have remained at or below said rates for a minimum of 14 days, the ordinance will be reconsidered by the Board of Supervisors.
In deciding whether to lift the mandate, the board is required to consider various factors in addition to case and testing positivity rates that can include emergency room and ICU capacities and vaccination rates.
Rothstein said the state’s new mandate is more restrictive than the Board of Supervisors’ strong recommendation for masking.
He also noted that local governments can impose greater restrictions, but cannot reduce statewide requirements.
As such, the county’s urgency ordinance appears to not be overridden by the state’s changes announced this week.
“Where the urgency ordinance’s requirements are more strict, the local ordinance would prevail,” Rothstein said.
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State’s updated masking rules go into effect; county measures remain in place
- Elizabeth Larson
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