Masks Mandatory In Orange County Superior Court Again

SANTA ANA, CA — The Orange County Superior Court will once again require face coverings for all those entering the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana in the aftermath of a pair of positive COVID-19 at the courthouse. The temporary order comes just weeks after mask mandates for the vaccinated were lifted in the courthouse. However, a recent spike in coronavirus cases has prompted several Southland municipalities to return to mandatory masking.

The court's mandate will begin Monday and will remain in force for two weeks or until superseded by relevant updates, court officials said.

"This decision was made out of an abundance of caution, as the Court was recently notified of two positive COVID-19 test results at the facility. Our focus remains the safety and health of our judicial officers, employees, justice partners, and our community," the court's statement said.
"The Court will continue to monitor developments, as it proceeds cautiously to provide ever greater access to justice."

Last month, the court announced that beginning on June 21, social distancing was no required, outdoor kiosks would gradually be phased out fully vaccinated members of the public would no longer be required to wear a face-covering when entering the courthouse, while unvaccinated people were still required to wear masks.

Though COVID-19 cases are on the rise, Orange County health officials have not reverted to indoor mask mandates though nearby Los Angels County has.

On Friday, Orange County reported 431 new COVID-19 infections due to the fast-spreading Delta variant, a steep rise from Friday's 304 new cases. Coronavirus-related hospitalizations also rose, from 149 Friday to 156, with intensive care unit patients increasing from 39 to 44.

"We all just have to keep on top of our positivity rates because there has been some speculation that the COVID numbers are increasing and it's mainly due to the folks not fully vaccinated," Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett told City News Service. "We're just keeping a watchful eye on things."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.