CALIFORNIA ORDERS NEW MASK MANDATE FOR INDOOR PUBLIC PLACES AND STRICTER TESTING FOR MEGA-EVENTS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via County of San Diego

December 13, 2021 (San Diego) – Starting Wednesday, all Californians will be required to wear a mask at indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, under a mandate announced today by the state’s Department of Public Health.  The new rule will remain in place until at least January 15 and follows a 47% rise in cases since Thanksgiving, as well as a 14% increase in hospitalizations.

In addition, the state has changed the rules for people attending mega events to require a negative PCR test 48 hours before the event or an antigen test 24 hours before the event.

The state is also recommending, though not requiring, that travelers to California get a COVID-19 test three to five days after their arrival

As recently noted in an updated Science Brief by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least ten studies have confirmed the benefit of universal masking in community level analyses. According to the California Department of Public Health’s announcement, “The masking requirement in California schools has allowed us to keep schools open when compared to other parts of the country. California accounts for roughly 12% of all U.S. students, but only 1% of COVID-19 related school closures.”

Nationally during the Delta surge in July and August 2021, jurisdictions without mask requirements in schools experienced larger increases in pediatric case rates, and school outbreaks were 3.5 times more likely than in areas without school mask requirements, according to the CDC.

There are several exceptions to the mask mandate, as before:  

• Persons younger than two years old, due to suffocation risk. .
• Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask. This includes persons for whom wearing a mask could obstruct breathing or who are incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a mask without help.
• Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
• Persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.

Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County’s Public Health Officer, says,  “Masks help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and its many variants. San Diegans should wear a mask while indoors in public places to protect themselves and others.”

In addition to wearing a mask indoors in public places, the following measures also help to protect against all varieties of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant:

• Get vaccinated and get a booster if you qualify. The vaccine is available at health care providers, retail pharmacies and community clinics. You can also make an appointment or find a site near you by calling (833) 422-4255 or visiting the My Turn website.
• Get tested if you’ve travelled or have any symptoms, whether you’ve been vaccinated or not. You can make a free test appointment or find a walk-in test clinic at coronavirus-sd.com.
• Wash your hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick and distance yourself from others.

More information about COVID-19, variants, testing and vaccinations can be found at coronavirus-sd.com.