Santa Cruz County To Issue Order Requiring Masks In Public

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Santa Cruz County health officials say they will be issuing a new order sometime this week which will require the public to wear masks or face coverings while at essential businesses or on public transportation. Officials say the move is necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Under the order, face coverings must be worn in commercial or governmental spaces where people have face-to-face interactions like:

• The grocery store
• Doctor's offices
• At restaurant pick-up counters
• Public transit

Children under 13 are exempt from the order, and doctors say children 2 or younger should not wear masks under any circumstances because they pose a risk of suffocating a small child.

Businesses are also being asked to post signs and remind customers about face coverings, and to not serve any customers who refuse to wear a mask. Employees at businesses do not have to wear masks if they work alone, but must put one on when interacting with anyone else.

Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel issued a statement Tuesday explaining that, while progress has been made to slow the spread, the masks are necessary to stop asymptomatic carriers from spreading the disease:

“We are making great progress in flattening the curve and preventing the spread of COVID-19, however, we now know that COVID-19 can be transmitted by infected patients for days before they are symptomatic. These measures are intended to protect our essential workers and each other, and I urge everyone to follow this order closely.”

Face coverings can be simple homemade masks, bandannas, t-shirts, towels or other cloth materials as long as they're easy to breathe through. They should be fit snugly to the wearer's face and be secured by ties or loops around the ear.

For more information on face coverings you can visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website here.