Sonoma County Allows Certain Groups To Lift Indoor Mask Mandate

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Certain groups of people in Sonoma County, such as those in gyms, offices and places of worship, now have the option to not wear masks indoors so long as everyone in the group is fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Under a health order amended Thursday by Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase, indoor gatherings of 100 people or fewer who meet regularly can lift the mandate on wearing masks indoors if they verify that all members of the group are fully vaccinated, county officials said in a news release.

In addition to workplaces, fitness centers and religious gatherings, the amendment applies to employee commuter vehicles, college classes and other organized gatherings of people who meet regularly.

"Employers, hosts and organizers must control access to the setting, and the setting cannot be open to the general public," the county said. "It does not allow proof of a negative test as a substitute for proof of vaccination."

The move is an additional exception to the order requiring face coverings in all indoor public settings, which Mase issued Aug. 3 to help control the surging delta variant. The exception is voluntary, meaning employers, hosts and organizers may continue to enforce universal indoor masking, regardless of vaccination status.

“Our face-covering requirement has been a critical tool in our community’s battle to control the spread of COVID-19,” Mase said. “Given that our case rate is now on the decline, it makes sense to loosen the requirement for certain stable groups of fully vaccinated people. But, in general, we must continue to wear our masks in most indoor settings in order to limit the spread of the virus during the coming winter months.”

Sonoma County and other Bay Area jurisdictions recently announced metrics that need to be met before any county will lift the indoor mask mandate for the general public. These include having a case rate of less than 50 per week per 100,000 residents for at least three consecutive weeks, having a “low and stable” hospitalization rate and having 80 percent of the county’s entire population fully vaccinated or waiting at least eight weeks from the approval date for pediatric vaccines for those ages 5 to 11.