County Requires Face Coverings In Most Public Settings Now

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Starting Saturday, people in Santa Cruz County must wear face coverings while participating in many public activities, according to a new order issued Thursday.

The order applies to people entering businesses or working at businesses, receiving health care services, using public transportation and volunteering. Face coverings are recommended but not required during outdoor exercise and the county suggests that exercisers keep a mask handy, just in case it is difficult to stay six feet away from others.

Children two years old or younger should not wear coverings due to the risk of suffocation.

Face coverings should cover the nose and mouth, and can be made from t-shirts, bandanas, towels and more. They need not include medical masks and cannot have a valve that allows air to escape for easy exhaling.

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COVID-19 is spread through droplets released when a sick person talks, coughs or sneezes, according to the order. Face coverings worn properly can slow the spread of the coronavirus.

People should still stand six feet away from one another, the county said.

People need not wear face coverings while driving alone or with others in their household.

Face coverings are also not necessary when someone is in a personal office that is not normally open to others and is not occupied by people from another household. Plumbers, bankers and construction workers, for example, need not wear coverings if others are not frequently in their space. But coverings should be worn if others are visiting, the order said.

Businesses should post signs to warn people in line and inside that face coverings are required, according to the order.

The county recommends that people ensure face coverings are comfortable when they are put on, as they should not be readjusted to avoid touching the face.

Face coverings should be cleaned frequently (after each use, optimally), washed with hot water and dried on a hot cycle. People should have other face coverings available to ensure they're using clean coverings.

People who violate the order could be fined and/or jailed, according to the order.

In Santa Cruz County 111 residents have been sickened by the new coronavirus as of Thursday. Two have died.

Read the order here:

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