By Sarah Wright. Capacity and distancing restrictions have been lifted for most businesses and activities. My dream would be that both of them just say,'This makes sense, state of California, let's follow suit and make it easier on businesses.'". "I think the way we're really thinking about this is to deemphasize the word 'end' in 'endemic'," Rogers said. She said it's just one more step to operating business as close to normal as possible. The updated guidance is unchanged for general community settings and continues to use a framework based on the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. It will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. How to Get Not everyone has the same level of protection, Throughout the pandemic, there [has been] a group of Bay Area Health Officers representing San Mateo County, San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Solano Napa and Santa Cruz counties, said Deputy Chief of San Mateo County Health Srija Srinivasan. In neighboring San Mateo County, Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow emphasized a separate point officials made during the briefing: The mask mandate is intended to curb transmission so that . And 15,248 people were hospitalized with COVID as of Monday, about 200 fewer than the end of last week. Follow us on Twitter. There are now 15 people with COVID-19 in the hospital and six of those are in the intensive care unit. King just began to make it mandatory for her students to show proof of vaccination. Masks will be mandatory starting Monday at all San Mateo County facilities regardless of a person's vaccination status. Not everyone has the same level of protection by virtue of the nature of ones job, living circumstance or health condition.. boosters remain widely available at health care providers and "I may be one of the holdouts and let the general public come into my store, elect whether they wear a mask or not. They can also call 211 or one of the Core Service Agencies located throughout San Mateo County: Copyright 2023 County of San Mateo. On Feb. 16, San Mateo County followed the California state government order to relax mask mandates. REDWOOD CITY (AP) -- San Mateo County supervisors announced late Thursday that, effective July 26, masks will be required in all county buildings and facilities for both employees and. The requirement will end March 12 across the state, and all nine Bay Area counties Alameda . It plans to keep indoor mask requirements in place until the county has two straight weeks at or below a "moderate" rate of 50 new cases per 100,000 people and there aren't any reports of a new, troubling variant circulating, Ferrer said. Alameda County is currently listed as a place of "high" transmission, as is every other Bay Area county with the exception of Marin, which is listed as "moderate. People who are hearing impaired or need to communicate with a person who is hearing impaired are also not subject to the mandate. Timing chart for information on the COVID-19 vaccine series Local governments can continue their own indoor masking requirements. Hover over . Of those four counties, only Marin is at the 80% vaccination rate required to lift the mandate. / CBS San Francisco. Solano County Will lift its indoor. The state of California will reassess its K-12 school mask mandate on Feb. 28, officials said Monday. On Feb. 16, San Mateo County followed the California state government order to relax mask mandates. While Marin's move into the yellow is promising, it needs to remain at that level for 21 consecutive days. To lift the mask mandate, 80% of a county's total population must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or eight weeks removed from when the COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for children. As of June 15, 2021, San Mateo County fully aligns with all state COVID-19 health and safety guidance and has no plans to impose separate guidance. In addition, hospitalizations are falling. All businesses and venue operators are encouraged to improve ventilation and air quality in their facility to prevent airborne respiratory infections and improve indoor air quality. Heres when youll need one. Consider wearing a mask in indoor areas of public transportation (such as in airplanes, trains, buses, ferries) and transportation hubs (such as airports, stations, and seaports). Here's what all seven counties said when asked about the future of indoor mask mandates. Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? to Default, About the Viral and Rickettsial Disease Lab, CDER Information for Health Professionals, Communicable Disease Emergency Response Program, DCDC Information for Local Health Departments, Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Branch, VRDL Guidelines for Specimen Collection and Submission for Pathologic Testing, State of CaliforniaHealth and Human Services Agency, en Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. Last week, Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer said the winter surge will be considered over in the nation's most populous county when hospitalizations fall below 2,500 for seven days in a row. I think it can be very unnerving for people who are at higher risk. Local health jurisdictions and entities can implement additional requirements that go beyond this statewide guidance based on local circumstances. "If they know that the people that are taking their mask off are vaccinated then I think they're going to feel a whole lot safe," said King. ", Other county health officers haven't publicly shared at what point hospitalizations will be considered "low and stable.". Very young children must not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation. Other downtown establishments also experienced an increase in patronage since businesses shut down in 2020. People vaccinated against COVID after infection still at risk, study says. This is increasingly important as the risk for transmission increases in the community. And the state now requires those without proof of vaccination attending events with more than 1,000 people to show a negative COVID-19 test within one day. We can say that, while the summer surge of COVID-19 likely peaked in mid to late August in Contra Costa, our case rates and hospitalization totals remain high, comparable to last winter. county dashboard estimates 0% ICU capacity, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). San Mateo County has followed the state in lifting its indoor The previous guidelines required a test within 72 hours. If hospitalization rates remain elevated we would stick to our current approach. Property owner speaks out. Were in a good place to peel back restrictions.". Regardless of the COVID-19 community levels, CDPH recommends: There is lower community spread and impact on healthcare system of COVID-19. CDPH Masks for Kids: Tips and Resources. Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? formto request a vaccine clinic at a congregate Helping everyone in San Mateo County live longer & better lives. *Those that are vulnerable include the unvaccinated, those that areimmunocompromised, have certaindisabilities, or haveunderlying health conditions, and those However, he said people should use more caution in settings where there is a lot of movement, including grocery stores and malls. When the mandate was first announced, city acting Health Officer Dr. Naveena Bobba expressly referred to the mandate as "temporary. For additional considerations for children and masking in childcare settings, see COVID-19 Guidance for Child Care Providers and Programs. We continue to operate vaccination clinics offering first and second doses of Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson at 20 locations that are accessible to the most impacted communities.". George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UCSF, told KPIX 5 that pandemic fatigue is real, and fortunately, it coincides with a sharp drop in virus spread. She was born and raised in the Bay Area and got her start in news at the Daily Californian newspaper at UC Berkeley where she majored in English literature. Such persons should consider taking extra precautions. To lift the mask mandate, a county's health officer must determine that COVID-19 hospitalizations are "low and stable. Businesses will no longer be required to ensure guests wear masks, but may opt to continue to require guests to wear masks as a condition of service. Tags Steven Parodi Dr. Karen Smith, Napa County's interim public health officer, said in a statement, "We continue to carefully monitor several indicators of the spread of COVID-19 in Napa County and the surrounding area including: case rates, local hospitalizations and intensive care unit capacity. providers, such as Kaiser and Sutter, as well as from pharmacies Get the Most out of Masking and see Some people are exempt from this latest mask rule, according to the California Department of Health. On April 11, the girls and boys varsity track and, On March 21, Aragon senior Lloyd Walter signed his, On March 21, three more trees fell on Aragons c, Just before 7 p.m. on March 16, power was restored. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. You can email her at agraff@sfgate.com. The state recommends those who travel in or out of California get tested for COVID within three to five days. At the time, some health officials including Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano and Marin County Deputy Public Health Officer Dr. Lisa Santora said their counties will monitor hospitalization numbers in determining when to lift the mandate. Initially, it was set to end on Jan. 15. facilities, shelters, and residentialfacilities for the Eric Ting is SFGATE's politics editor. Ask bilingual California nurses live for free, Original COVID shots no longer authorized but newer ones are, FDA says. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines in San Mateo County: : People who are experiencing homelessness or unsafe living conditions where they cannot afford safe shelter are encouraged to try to stay with family or friends, identify housing options, or access emergency resources such as shelter. Medicine,San Mateo Medical For references on the effectiveness of masks and respirators, see CDC Science Brief: Community Use of Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2., Originally published on November 16, 2020, PO Box 997377 Decrease, Reset Photo by Catheri, On March 14, a tree was knocked down by high winds, On March 11, the Aragon varsity baseball team (4-2, On March 10, Aragons Biotech Club participated, On Feb. 25, the Aragon varsity girls soccer team (, On Feb. 3, the California Interscholastic Federati, Around 4:15 p.m., high winds caused a large eucaly, On Feb. 18, the Aragon varsity soccer teams played, On Feb. 15, 17 members of Aragons GSA club (@ar, With New-York-inspired subway station and city dec, On Jan. 20, the Aragon boys soccer team (3-0-1 Pen, On Jan. 18, boys basketball (2-1 Peninsula Athleti, On Jan. 18, the Aragon girls volleyball team atten, In September 2022, sports editor Catherine Wang na. The universal mask mandate was implemented, along with other COVID-19 recommendations, on Dec. 15 for four weeks. People who are actively performing at in indoor live or recorded settings. available with or withoutadvance appointments Last week, Los Angeles County's health officials said they intend to keep theirs in place beyond the state deadline.