Residents can continue toschedule vaccination appointments Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? Hanh Truong is a reporter on The Sacramento Bees service journalism desk. from the federal government. Beginning April 3, the California Department of Public Health And while the county plans to align with the state's . This story was originally published December 15, 2021, 11:55 AM. Im not sure that the mask mandate being dropped had much of an impact because the majority of people who come into the theater still wear masks.. 1-833-4CA4ALL They are among a dozen states with mask mandates in schools. Masks will also be mandatory for such events. With coronavirus cases falling fast, California also is lifting a requirement that people produce a negative coronavirus test before visiting hospitals and nursing homes, effective immediately. ", Other county health officers haven't publicly shared at what point hospitalizations will be considered "low and stable.". or withoutadvance appointments onMyTurn, though appointments are "Last week, there were 15 total COVID-19 hospitalizations in Marin. The state's announcement follows a 65% decline in COVID cases, Newsom said. The statewide mandate goes into effect in counties that do not have existing guidelines on masks in indoor public spaces. However, many counties soon reinstituted local mask orders as the summer delta surge took hold. "One of the silver linings of Omicron, so to speak, is that a large number of the American population saw the virus, and as a result of that they became immune.". The state recommends those who travel in or out of California get tested for COVID within three to five days. / CBS San Francisco. All eight Bay Area counties still enforcing an indoor mask mandate are using the same shared metrics that will determine when the mandates will be lifted, and some counties are closer to hitting those metrics than others. People vaccinated against COVID after infection still at risk, study says. Before resuming the masking requirement in December, California had lifted the requirement for people who were vaccinated as of June 15, a date that Newsom had described then as the state's grand reopening. The mandate came after COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have increased across the state and with the detection of the omicron variant. "I would hope that they follow what the state is doing. Marin County Public Health Director Dr. Matt Willis said the earliest date the mandate could end is Nov. 3, but the county needs to work hard to keep cases down to get there, and if cases and hospitalizations bump up, this date could easily be pushed back. ", "We want to see fewer people hospitalized with COVID-19 before lifting the mandate," said Willis. Consider wearing a mask in indoor public places. The universal mask mandate was implemented, along with other COVID-19 recommendations, on Dec. 15 for four weeks. Stay tuned for ongoing updates. Center,etc. which were devised at a different point in the pandemic. new guidance here. By request, County Health offers COVID-19 and flu vaccination And she encouraged people to assess their own individual risk when it comes to masking. Social link April 11, 2016. A few counties, such as Santa Clara County and Los Angeles County, proposed a later date to lift their mask requirements because they want to ensure lower COVID-19 case rates before changing the regulations. Espaol, - The now extended universal mask mandate will end on Feb. 15. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines in San Mateo County: : People who are experiencing homelessness or unsafe living conditions where they cannot afford safe shelter are encouraged to try to stay with family or friends, identify housing options, or access emergency resources such as shelter. In-home COVID-19 vaccinations and boostersare available George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UCSF, told KPIX 5 that pandemic fatigue is real, and fortunately, it coincides with a sharp drop in virus spread. Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO), Assessor - County Clerk - Recorder & Elections, Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, Water Quality Notifications (Beach/Creek), https://covid19.ca.gov/industry-guidance/#can-open, Face covering guidance from California Dept. Persons younger than two years old. Of course, if it takes weeks for children to become fully vaccinated (doses are given two weeks apart), a county teetering on the case requirement could fall out of the yellow tier while waiting to fulfill vaccination requirement, then have to re-enter the yellow tier and maintain for another three weeks, ensuring mask mandates linger. 11. You can email her at agraff@sfgate.com. The mask mandate will be lifted when there is evidence of a sustained downward trend in transmission and ICU capacity has recovered.. A county reaches the "moderate" (yellow) tier of case rates as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's data tracker and remains there for three weeks. 1. clinics at congregate care facilities, including skilled nursing Some downtown San Mateo workers also felt as if San Mateo County should have delayed its mask mandate termination. This story has been updated to include additional information from the California Department of Public Health on exemptions to the new indoor mask mandate. The new threshold comes after Sunday's Super Bowl that will draw as many as 100,000 football fans to SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles. The developments in California come as New Jersey and Delaware announced plans Monday to lift the statewide COVID-19 mask requirement in schools next month. at risk of severe illness of death if they are infected with COVID-19. "We can expect as we go around, certainly in the next months, that there will be a need to pull out a mask because the business that you're interacting with or the organization has that requirement, even if it is not the law," Rogers said. Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Sonomawere all in the orange tier, indicating "substantial" community spread, on Friday morning. To achieve this, authorities are easing cautionary measures so residents can gradually and safely begin the return to pre-pandemic customs. In recent days, county data shows that daily COVID hospitalizations have dropped to 84 as of Monday, compared to over 100 in recent weeks. Follow us on Twitter. CDPH Masking Guidance Frequently Asked Questions. dashboard has beenupdated for the final time and will be In early August, seven Bay Area counties San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Marin and Sonoma simultaneously issued an indoor mask mandate for all individuals regardless of vaccination status as the more contagious delta variant of COVID-19 started to spread in the region. Hazardous Materials Business Plan Program, California Accidental Release Prevention Program (CalARP), Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tank Program. at local pharmaciessuch asCVS,Safeway,Albertsons,Walgreens, Of the eight, only Alameda and Marin pointed to specific criteria that health officials are using in their decision-making process. ", Willis added that mandates would be kept in place if other concerning variants arise, and that his county will be "be approaching this cautiously" as "It's much harder to get control after a surge starts than to prevent it.". This includes children under 2 years old and individuals with medical and mental health conditions or a disability that prevents wearing a mask. As of Monday, Feb. 7, the county was experiencing an average of 85 new cases for every 100,000 residents, or about 663 new cases per day, down from the 1,123 cases per day reported last week.. When asked whether the county still plans to keep the mask mandate in place until the FDA approves vaccines for younger children, the county's health department said in a statement, "We continue to monitor and maintain situational awareness of our case counts and vaccination rates to provide the community with the most current information and will inform the community when the mandate could be or is lifted," and "we defer to the federal authorities on when children under 12 years would receive the vaccine.". "We want to see that all eligible residents receive a booster to maintain their optimal protection," Chabra said. "For me, I'm 69 years old," Houston said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. These public health recommendations will be updated as CDPH continues to assess conditions on an ongoing basis. A sign in the window of a business in Chinatown on Grant Avenue reminds customers of the indoor mask mandate in San Francisco on Aug. 5, 2021. Very young children must not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation. Congregate facilityvaccination clinics will Sacramento, CA 95899-7377, For General Public Information: For real-time information on the availability of vaccines and how Marin County is seeing some of the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the Bay Area. While Marin's move into the yellow is promising, it needs to remain at that level for 21 consecutive days. So we set that as the metric well want to see less than 15 people in the hospital for COVID-19 before lifting the mandate. Newsom, a Democrat, has come under pressure from Republicans and other critics to ease the mandates. Unvaccinated individuals over age 2 will continue to be required to wear masks in all indoor public settings. The legislation was deemed safe, as 93% of the County population is vaccinated and the County is maintaining a low COVID-19 case rate. Gov. (CDPH) will no longer require masks in indoor high-risk and To lift the mask mandate, a county's health officer must determine that COVID-19 hospitalizations are "low and stable. County Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis has even assigned an earliest possible date for when the mask mandate can be lifted (Nov. 3), but noted that any case or hospitalization uptick will. Local health jurisdictions and entities can implement additional requirements that go beyond this statewide guidance based on local circumstances. Bay Area mask mandates can end when county COVID-19 transmission rates reach the yellow moderate level for three weeks and 80% or more of their total population is fully vaccinated. Health care facilities and other high-risk setting operators should develop and implement their own facility-specific plans based on their community, patient population, and other facility considerations incorporating CDPH and CDC recommendations.. Regardless of the COVID-19 community levels, CDPH recommends: There is lower community spread and impact on healthcare system of COVID-19. They start having conversations and bring more friends, so we get more clients.. All businesses and venue operators are encouraged to improve ventilation and air quality in their facility to prevent airborne respiratory infections and improve indoor air quality. Plenty of others, of course, are more than ready to move on. Marin was the first to enter the yellow tier a week and a half ago, and was followed shortly after by San Mateo County. "There is still some work to do," Preston Merchant, a spokesperson for San Mateo County Health, wrote in an email. San Mateo County plans to align with the state's decision to lift its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated residents, Health Chief Louise . Not everyone has the same level of protection by virtue of the nature of ones job, living circumstance or health condition.. andupdated booster schedules. Eric Ting is SFGATE's politics editor. By aligning with the state masking rules, the participating Bay Get the Most out of Masking and see retired. In San Francisco County, the seven-day average of new daily cases sits at 124, down from 309 on Aug. 2. Helping everyone in San Mateo County live longer & better lives. For individual county mandates, check with your local health department. San Mateo County Reopening As of June 15, 2021, San Mateo County fully aligns with all state COVID-19 health and safety guidance and has no plans to impose separate guidance. Related Materials:Masking Q&A| MaskingFactSheet(PDF)|FaceMask Tips and Resources|Face ShieldsQ&A (PDF)|Safe Schools for All Hub|All Guidance|More Languages. Willis said Marin's high vaccination rate is helping drive down cases and hospitalizations. In San Mateo County and across the state, the COVID situation is improving as case rates fall. County Healths COVID-19 pop-up clinic program for schools and County Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis has even assigned an earliest possible date for when the mask mandate can be lifted (Nov. 3), but noted that any case or hospitalization uptick will set that back. State-sponsored COVID-19 testing has ended in San Mateo County. Health,Dignity However, junior and Virology Club member Evan Molloy recognizes the benefits of ending the mandate. Aragon enforces student supervision policy, The benefits and dangers of cryptocurrency, Boys lacrosse loses to Priory 10-17 on senior night. He recently has said the state is preparing for the day when the coronavirus can be considered endemic, with rules that accept that it is here to stay but can be managed with caution. Masks will be mandatory starting Monday at all San Mateo County facilities regardless of a person's vaccination status. They can also call 211 or one of the Core Service Agencies located throughout San Mateo County:San Mateo County Core Service Agencies. [However, the customers] who arent wearing a mask anymore are happier. She has been with SFGATE for more than 10 years. elderly. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Health,Stanford Persons may use information about the current CDC COVID-19 community levels in their county to guide which prevention behaviors to use and when (at all times or at specific times) based on their own risk for severe illness and that of members of their household, their risk tolerance, and setting-specific factors. and/or through primary care providers, such asKaiser,Sutter "Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under 5 are around the corner, and access to COVID-19 treatments is improving," said state Public Health Officer Dr. Toms J. Aragn. Dr. Chin-Hong said that the increase in community immunity from the widespread of the Omicron variant, early COVID intervention treatments and the significant decline in cases are among the reasons he agrees with the state's stance that it's time to loosen mask measures. Effective April 3, 2023,the updated guidance is intended to provide information that each Californian should consider based on their unique circumstances. ", When the mandate went into effect, Santa Clara County was the only county that offered a long-range estimate for when it would be lifted, as Deputy Health Officer Dr. George Han said, "We need the added protection of masks back into our lives until everyone is able to be vaccinated, especially children.. The current rate is 117 cases per 100,000 people. Groom executed the San Mateo County Health Officers decision to match Californias loosened mask protocols. Vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks in indoor or public spaces, but those who are unvaccinated must continue to wear their masks indoors. Napa County issued a mask mandate later than the other Bay Area counties, and like Sonoma, is not seeing a rapid falloff in new cases. It will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. vaccinationswill conclude on June 30. However, about 64,000 people who were vaccinated marked their race/ethnicity as 'other' or 'unknown.'. Tested guidance. On Feb. 16, San Mateo County followed the California state government order to relax mask mandates. toresidents unable to leave home due to age, disability, or Alameda County is currently listed as a place of "high" transmission, as is every other Bay Area county with the exception of Marin, which is listed as "moderate. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "I think we are all hoping for a quick juncture," Stan Houston, owner of Mozart Einstein & Me in Livermore, told KPIX 5. However, even if the state lifts its mask requirement for schools, individual school. Heres what rules will (and wont) change, People receiving medical or cosmetic service on the nose or face. Weve been wearing masks for almost two years now so itll be nice to see each others faces again, especially since I think a lot of students dont really care about [wearing masks] now because [the Omicron variant] is not as severe, Molloy said. 2023 San Mateo County. "If they know that the people that are taking their mask off are vaccinated then I think they're going to feel a whole lot safe," said King. However, California health officials extended the deadline on Wednesday, Jan. 5, due to the recent surge of the omicron variant, which has resulted in coronavirus cases reaching record highs following the holidays. Other individuals can be exempt if wearing a mask creates risk at work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.. A sign in the window of a business in Chinatown on Stockton Street reminds customers of the indoor mask mandate in San Francisco, Calif. on August 5, 2021. In addition, hospitalizations are falling. SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA Even as the COVID-19 outlook for San Mateo County improves, health officials warn that the virus is not going to disappear. Consistent with the SMARTER Plan and our adaptation of the SarsCoV-2 virus in our lives, California is updating its masking guidance. tosmchealth_iz@smcgov.org. San Mateo County is a little bit safer with a case rate of 44.35. People have been wanting to return to a more normal lifestyle by not having to put a mask on and stay home from work, said San Mateo County District 2 Supervisor Carole Groom. The county's health department did not provide a threshold for when hospitalizations would be considered sufficiently low, stating, "We don't use a specific threshold for determining when to change the health order, and we can't predict when conditions will permit a change. 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Ask bilingual California nurses live for free, Original COVID shots no longer authorized but newer ones are, FDA says. California health officials said Monday that they are "continuing to work with education, public health and community leaders to update masking requirements at schools to adapt to changing conditions and ensure the safety of kids, teachers, and staff.". On April 11, the girls and boys varsity track and, On March 21, Aragon senior Lloyd Walter signed his, On March 21, three more trees fell on Aragons c, Just before 7 p.m. on March 16, power was restored. View the California Department of Public Healths Vaccine San Mateo County to lift indoor mask mandate on February 16. by Linda Hubbard on February 9, 2022. Merchant said the county is working with community-based organizations, medical leaders and community leaders to educate residents on vaccine safety and efficacy and the risks posed by COVID-19.