Health & Fitness
As Coronavirus Cases Rise, Bay Area Health Officers Recommend That Everyone Mask Indoors In City Of Berkeley
Vaccines are safe, effective, free, and widely available to everyone 12 and older.
July 16, 2021
Berkeley, California - With cases of COVID 19 rising locally and increased circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and the City of Berkeley recommend that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places to ensure easy verification that all unvaccinated people are masked in those settings and as an extra precautionary measure for all.
Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In June, the Delta variants comprised 43 percent of all specimens sequenced in California. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that Delta variants are now responsible for 58 percent of new infections across the country.
Fully vaccinated people are well-protected from infections and serious illness due to known COVID-19 variants including Delta variants, and vaccinating as many people as possible, as soon as possible, continues to be our best defense against severe COVID-19 infection, and the harm it can do to our region. Vaccines are safe, effective, free, and widely available to everyone 12 and older.
Find out what's happening in Berkeleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Out of an abundance of caution, people are recommended to wear masks indoors in settings like grocery or retail stores, theaters, and family entertainment centers, even if they are fully vaccinated as an added layer of protection for unvaccinated residents. Businesses are urged to adopt universal masking requirements for customers entering indoor areas of their businesses to provide better protection to their employees and customers. Workplaces must comply with Cal/OSHA requirements and fully vaccinated employees are encouraged to wear masks indoors if their employer has not confirmed the vaccination status of those around them.
"The Delta variant is spreading quickly, and everyone should take action to protect themselves and others against this potentially deadly virus," said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the City of Berkeley Health Officer. "After vaccination, masking is the next most powerful tool we have to protect ourselves and each other during this latest wave of infections."
This press release was produced by City of Berkeley. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
