Home Contra Costa County Contra Costa County Releases Updated Public Guidance for Face Coverings

Contra Costa County Releases Updated Public Guidance for Face Coverings

by ECT
Contra Costa Health Services

Contra Costa County today updated its health order about when and where members of the public should wear face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic to align it with current state guidance.

Local data indicate that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Contra Costa County. The county is currently on the California Department of Public Health’s monitoring list because of increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients in local hospitals. Today Contra Costa reports 209 new confirmed cases.

The updated order specifies that face coverings should be worn in businesses and in areas where people wait in line to enter businesses, and that everyone should wear a mask or face covering whenever they are within six feet of another person who is not a member of their household, except in very limited, industry-specific situations.

People who have certain health conditions are exempt from wearing masks that fit snugly over the mouth and nose but must instead wear plastic face shields with cloth draping beneath to contain coughs and sneezes.

The order also requires businesses that are open during the pandemic to ensure their workers and volunteers wear face coverings, and to not serve or allow entry to anyone not wearing face coverings.

“We recognize there is a lot of detailed health guidance coming from state and local sources, and that can be confusing,” said Candace Andersen, chair of the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors. “With COVID-19 spreading more in our community, it is more important than ever to follow the state health guidance and wear a face covering whenever you go out.”

Face coverings, even if just cloth bandanas, help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by blocking virus-containing droplets that come out of our mouths and noses when we breath, speak, cough or sneeze. Face coverings are one of the simplest and most effective ways to slow the virus spread and allow for further re-opening of the economy. The World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and the California Department of Public Health all recommend face coverings due to overwhelming evidence of benefit in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

CCHS encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect themselves from COVID-19: Follow the shelter-in-place order, and wear a face covering when you go out or are near other people. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, and always stay home from work or school if you are not feeling well.

Visit cchealth.org/coronavirus to read the new health order, and for local information about Contra Costa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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3 comments

Jaime Jul 8, 2020 - 9:43 am

Editor:
-Your link to ‘overwhelming evidence of benefit’ links to studies not related specifically to to the efficacy of face masks as it relates to the transmission of Covid-19, and negates to mention the numerous health concerns of wearing masks long term.
-This is problematic to being viewed as unbiased for a news agency.
-Why does your article not mention…
California Civil Code 51(b)
-or-
California Regulation Title 8 section 5144
-or-
OSHA’s Safe Working Enviroment /Oxygen Content (19.5%+)

These are existing LAWS enacted by the Legislature being completely IGNORED.
-Why is that?

-Furthermore, the ‘Health Order’ is not valid without being signed.

-Why is it not signed?!!

Please direct me to a copy of the SIGNED ‘Health Order’…….

Susan Morgan Jul 9, 2020 - 6:40 pm

Hi – the Press Release for the Health Order has been updated, as it had a misstatement. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR REPORT OF IT. The fourth paragraph now reads (Capitalization added – to show correction):

People who have certain health conditions are exempt from wearing masks that fit snugly over the mouth and nose but ARE ENCOURAGED TO INSTEAD wear plastic face shields with cloth draping beneath to contain coughs and sneezes.

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