City Of Alameda: Bay Area Health Officers Issue Criteria For Lifting Indoor Masking

Press release from the City of Alameda:

October 07, 2021

Bay Area Health Officers Issue Criteria for Lifting COVID-19 Indoor Masking Requirements

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA—As decisions to vaccinate and wear face coverings indoors drive down COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations, health officers for the nine Bay Area jurisdictions that require face coverings in most indoor public spaces today reached consensus on criteria to lift those health orders under certain conditions.

The counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and the City of Berkeley will lift the indoor masking requirement in public spaces not subject to state and federal masking rules when all the following occur:

• COVID-19 hospitalizations in the jurisdiction are low and stable, in the judgment of the health officer; AND

OR

Most Bay Area health departments issued the masking requirements for their respective jurisdictions on August 3, following a summer surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Lifting a local indoor mask mandate would not prevent businesses, nonprofits, churches, or others with public indoor spaces from imposing their own requirements. As COVID-19 easily spreads through airborne droplets, face coverings remain highly powerful in preventing its spread.

"Masks and vaccines together have protected residents of Alameda County and the Bay Area during the summer wave" said Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County Health Officer. "While we expect COVID-19 and flu to circulate this winter, with more people well-protected from severe illness by vaccination we will be able to loosen mask requirements safely."

The state also requires face coverings for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in health care facilities, public transit and adult and senior care facilities. California’s masking guidelines in K-12 schools would also not be affected by changes to local health orders.

 Visit covid-19.acgov.org for local information about COVID-19. To find a vaccination location near you, visit covid-19.acgov.org/vaccines#availability

This press release was produced by the City of Alameda. The views expressed here are the author’s own.