Bay Area Health Officials Urge Immediate Vaccination & Issue Orders Requiring Use Of Face Coverings Indoors To Prevent The Spread Of COVID19

Press release from City of Berkeley:

August 02, 2021

Berkeley, California (Monday, August 02, 2021) - Vaccination continues to protect against severe COVID-19 illness, but with the COVID-19 Delta variant now infecting a small percentage of vaccinated people as well as many unvaccinated people, eight Bay Area health officers have issued Health Orders requiring masks indoors in public places.

The Orders require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions, starting at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, August 3rd.

Vaccines remain the most powerful tool in the fight against COVID-19, including the Delta variant. Nonetheless, the Delta variant is infecting a small percentage of the vaccinated - who still remain strongly protected against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. In those instances of infection in a vaccinated person, a face covering prevents further spread. Bay Area health officials urge all unvaccinated residents 12 and older to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"We are deeply fortunate to have vaccines that so profoundly reduce the risk of severe illness and death from the newest, more dangerous variant," said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, City of Berkeley Health Officer. "Adding a face covering when indoors with others, gives us all an easy, familiar and powerful tool."

These Health Orders aim to reduce community transmission of COVID-19 and protect everyone. Health officials are very concerned by the substantial levels of community transmission now found across the Bay Area, especially among unvaccinated people. In part, this is due to the widespread COVID-19 Delta variant, which is substantially more transmissible than previous forms of the virus. Recent information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also indicates that even fully vaccinated individuals can in some cases spread the Delta variant to others, and so indoor use of face coverings provides an important added layer of protection.

Links

• City of Berkeley Health Order, issued August 2, 2021

issued August 2, 2021

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