On Monday, State Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced California will require universal indoor masking beginning on December 15, 2021 – January 15, 2022. The move comes after he cited a 47% increase in COVID-19 case rates across the state since Thanksgiving.
The mandate will be imposed on everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Roughly 50% of California already has a mask mandate in place, including Contra Costa County.
Overview:
- Universal indoor mask mandate Dec 15-Jan 15.
- Unvaxxed megaevent attendees show proof of negative test < 48 hours before event
- Travelers should get tested 3-5 days before/after trip.
CDPH Requires Masking for All Public Indoor Settings to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 In Response to Increasing Case Rates and Hospitalizations
With case rates increasing 47% since Thanksgiving, the California Department of Public Health will require universal masking to increase protection to individuals, families, and communities during the holidays
SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) continues to monitor COVID-19 data in order to protect the health and well-being of all Californians. Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by almost half (47%) and hospitalizations have increased by 14%. In response to the increase in cases and hospitalizations, and to slow the spread of both Delta and the highly transmissible Omicron variant, CDPH has issued updated guidance to curb the spread of COVID-19 and its variants.
Beginning December 15, CDPH will require masks to be worn in all indoor public settings irrespective of vaccine status through January 15, 2022, at which point California will make further recommendations as needed in response to the pandemic.
Additionally, CDPH updated requirements for attending mega events, like concerts and sporting events. Prior to attending an event, attendees will now require either proof of vaccination, a negative antigen COVID-19 test within one day of the event, or a negative PCR test within two days of the event.
CDPH also issued a new travel advisory effective immediately to recommend that all travelers arriving in California test for COVID-19 within three to five days after arrival, regardless of their vaccination status.
“Our collective actions can save lives this holiday season. We are already seeing a higher level of transmission this winter and it is important to act now to prevent overwhelming our busy hospitals so we can provide quality health care to all Californians. All Californians should get vaccinated and receive their booster. Getting your whole family up to date on vaccination is the most important action you can take to get through the pandemic and to protect yourself from serious impacts from the virus and its variants. Testing and masking remain important tools in slowing the spread,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “Starting Wednesday, California will require masking in all public indoor places during the holiday season regardless of vaccination status. Attendees of large events will be required to show either proof of vaccination, a negative antigen COVID-19 test within one day of the event, or a negative PCR test within two days of the event. Additionally, California has issued a travel alert to recommend that all travelers get tested within three to five days of their arrival in California. Vaccines and these temporary measures will allow friends and families to safely spend the holidays together and will add critical layers of protection to keep people safe.”
STATEWIDE COVID-19 DATA
Today, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response. The most up to date data is available on the state’s COVID-19 data dashboard.
Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are largely occurring among unvaccinated populations. See the data for unvaccinated and vaccinated cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
- Unvaccinated people were 7.1 times more likely to get COVID-19 (data from November 21, 2021 to November 27, 2021).
- Unvaccinated people were 12.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 (data from November 14, 2021 to November 20, 2021).
- Unvaccinated people were 13.0 times more likely to die from COVID-19 (data from November 7, 2021 to November 13, 2021).
Vaccinations
- 61,315,927 total vaccines administered.
- 7% of the eligible population (5+) has been vaccinated with at least one dose.
- 210,409 people a day are receiving COVID-19 vaccination (average daily dose count over 7 days).
Cases
- California has 4,886,509 confirmed cases to date.
- Today’s average case count is 5,825 (average daily case count over 7 days).
Testing
- The testing positivity rate is 2.2% (average rate over 7 days).
Hospitalizations
- There are 3,804 hospitalizations statewide.
- There are 967 ICU patients statewide.
Deaths
- There have been 74,685 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
- COVID-19 claims the lives of 51 Californians each day (average daily death count over 7 days).
ADDITIONAL UPDATES
Omicron Variant
The recent emergence of the Omicron variant emphasizes the importance of getting a vaccine, booster and taking prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19. As of December 12, 2021, 24 confirmed cases associated with the Omicron variant have been reported to the state. This number will be updated weekly with the other variants California is currently monitoring on this webpage. For more information about the Omicron variant, see the Omicron variant fact sheet.
Contra Costa County
Since Contra Costa County already has a mask mandate in place, the states decision won’t have much impact on the county. Currently, the Health Order as of 10/14: in order to slow the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19, all people, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear face coverings in public indoor settings in in Contra Costa County until further notice, beginning August 3, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. Public settings include but are not limited to business offices, retail stores, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meeting rooms and State and local government facilities where services are provided to the public.
This order does not apply to people in the following circumstances:
When alone in a room.
When actively eating or drinking.
When swimming or showering.
When receiving care or other service that requires removal of the face covering, including by way of example and without limitation, medical care requiring exposure of the nose or mouth, cosmetic services involving the face, and dental procedures.
When participating in a religious activity at a religious gathering, to the extent that removal of face coverings is necessary for participation.
When performing live in an indoor public space, if everyone present is fully vaccinated.
When exempt from wearing face coverings under the State Face Covering Guidance or other applicable California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance. The State Face Covering Guidance exempts the following individuals from wearing masks:
Persons younger than two years old. Very young children must not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation.
Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask, including persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a mask could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance.
Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
Persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined.
Effective November 1, 2021 at 6:00 a.m:
When in an office, fitness facility, college classroom or employee commuter vehicle, or in an organized gathering in any other indoor setting, under all the following conditions:
There are no more than 100 persons present, and the group of persons present gathers on a regular basis;
The employer, host or organizer verifies that all persons present are fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine;
The employer, host or organizer can control access to the space, and the space is not open to the general public;
The employer, host or organizer maintains a list of the individuals present;
The employer, host or organizer posts signage prohibiting entry by persons who have a cough, fever or other symptoms that could be consistent with COVID-19; and
None of the persons present has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, is awaiting results of a COVID-19 test, or had a known exposure to a person infected with the COVID-19 virus within the last 14 days.
On October 7, 2021, Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano announced the criteria he will use to lift the indoor-masking order in Contra Costa County:
The county reaches the CDC’s moderate (yellow) COVID-19 transmission tier and remains there for at least three weeks; AND
There are fewer than 75 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county; AND
One of the following conditions is met:
80% of the total population is fully vaccinated
Eight weeks have passed since a COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for emergency use by federal and state authorities for 5- to 11-year-olds
