On March 12, California will also lift the mask mandate in K-12 schools, public transit . People vaccinated against COVID after infection still at risk, study says. Other downtown establishments also experienced an increase in patronage since businesses shut down in 2020. Most of the U.S. population 5 years of age and older has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, either from vaccination or infection that can serve as a foundation for the protection provided by the bivalent vaccines, an FDA official said. Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask. As of Monday, Feb. 7, the county was experiencing an average of 85 new cases for every 100,000 residents, or about 663 new cases per day, down from the 1,123 cases per day reported last week.. California Department of Public Health (CDPH), please view the Effective April 3, 2023, the updated guidance is intended to provide information that each Californian should consider based on their unique circumstances. The CDC tracker lists Marin's seven-day case rate at 48.29, meaning any slight case uptick could dislodge the county from the yellow tier and reset the three-week clock that the counties decided upon. All Bay Area counties now appear to be seeing some relief from the omicron surge in terms. Bay Area health officers have released guidelines for ending indoor mask mandates. State-sponsored COVID-19 testing has ended in San Mateo County. What to know, SLO County teacher was arrested over a paper cut? Bay Area mask mandates can end when county COVID-19 transmission rates reach the yellow moderate level for three weeks and 80% or more of their total population is fully vaccinated. 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. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. You can email her at agraff@sfgate.com. boosters remain widely available at health care providers and In certain healthcare situations or settings and other covered facilities, services and operations,surgical masks (or higher filtration masks) are required. There is medium community spread and impact on healthcare system of COVID-19. Local health departments that had mask requirements before Dec. 13 will continue mandating existing health orders. Employees who wear respiratory protection, Vaccinated people attending religious worship services, Other people who are exempted from face coverings according to other CDPH rules. had previously told his board of supervisors, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). San Mateo County to lift indoor mask mandate on February 16. by Linda Hubbard on February 9, 2022. 2023 San Mateo County. This includes children under 2 years old and individuals with medical and mental health conditions or a disability that prevents wearing a mask. He will, however, be keeping his on. All eight Bay Area counties still enforcing an indoor mask mandate are using the same shared metrics that will determine when the mandates will be lifted, and some counties are closer to hitting those metrics than others. Persons younger than two years old. California health officials said Monday that they are "continuing to work with education, public health and community leaders to update masking requirements at schools to adapt to changing conditions and ensure the safety of kids, teachers, and staff.". Gov. County Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis has said that a case. For individual county mandates, check with your local health department. available with or withoutadvance appointments new guidance here. In recent days, county data shows that daily COVID hospitalizations have dropped to 84 as of Monday, compared to over 100 in recent weeks. Most hope that Californias latest ordinance will end the cycle of strict safety instruction and dangerous COVID-19 surges. Beginning April 3, the California Department of Public Health On Feb. 16, San Mateo County followed the California state government order to relax mask mandates. All Rights Reserved. Hazardous Materials Business Plan Program, California Accidental Release Prevention Program (CalARP), Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tank Program. 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. Marin was the first to enter the yellow tier a week and a half ago, and was followed shortly after by San Mateo County. Hanh Truong is a reporter on The Sacramento Bees service journalism desk. How to Get The developments in California come as New Jersey and Delaware announced plans Monday to lift the statewide COVID-19 mask requirement in schools next month. Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Alameda County was added to the yellow tier last week, and San Francisco joined on Monday. dashboard has beenupdated for the final time and will be "I think, hopefully for now, fingers crossed, well they're definitely going in the right direction," Rutherford says of the pandemic's course. Newsom says mask mandate to end after June 15 By ADAM BEAM Associated Press; May 12, 2021 May 12, 2021 . "I think California is ready," said University of California San Francisco Prof. of Medicine Dr. Peter Chin-Hong. It will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. For real-time information on the availability of vaccines and how People who are hearing impaired or need to communicate with a person who is hearing impaired are also not subject to the mandate. Area counties will not need to meet previously 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "One of the silver linings of Omicron, so to speak, is that a large number of the American population saw the virus, and as a result of that they became immune.". 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. The updated guidance replaces mandatory masking requirements in high-risk settings with recommendations, which are also based on the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. In Santa Clara County, there is now an average of 202 new cases per day over the last week, the highest rates since late February, according to county data. Local health jurisdictions and entities can implement additional requirements that go beyond this statewide guidance based on local circumstances. Helping everyone in San Mateo County live longer & better lives. Weve been wearing masks for almost two years so itll be nice to see each others faces again. Sacramento, CA 95899-7377, For General Public Information: updatefrom County Health Chief Louise Rogers. If you have household or social contact with a vulnerable person*, wearing a mask is recommended when indoors with them. Health officials prep for endemic stage of COVID-19. With coronavirus cases falling fast, California also is lifting a requirement that people produce a negative coronavirus test before visiting hospitals and nursing homes, effective immediately. "Thats among the lowest rates in the state, and Californias rates are the lowest in the nation. County Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis has even assigned an earliest possible date for when the mask mandate can be lifted (Nov. 3), but noted that any case or hospitalization uptick will. A week ago, July 14, there were four people hospitalized with COVID-19. This Updated booster shots are Follow us on Twitter. 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. "We're still in 'purple' equivalent and would want to see numbers closer to orange," he wrote. She said it's just one more step to operating business as close to normal as possible. The requirement will end March 12 across the state, and all nine Bay Area counties Alameda . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. By request, County Health offers COVID-19 and flu vaccination 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 ", A spokesperson for the county said only, "We continue to assess data about the impact of COVID-19 in San Mateo County and to stress vaccination and the wearing of face coverings as the most effective safety measures to reduce the spread of the disease and prevent serious illness and death. All three counties have seen weeks of sustained case decreases and have total population vaccination rates close to 70%, and, as a result, may not hit the 80% benchmark as quickly as other Bay Area counties will once the vaccine is approved for children ages 5-11. Long COVID and heart issues: What do we know about lingering symptoms and treatment? Consistent with the SMARTER Plan and our adaptation of the SarsCoV-2 virus in our lives, California is updating its masking guidance. Heres why, She couldnt recognize her dad after COVID, study says. faith-based organizations concluded on March 31. However, even if the state lifts its mask requirement for schools, individual school. Local governments can continue their own indoor masking requirements. County Healths COVID-19 pop-up clinic program for schools and San Mateo County has followed the state in lifting its indoor Congregate facilityvaccination clinics will "We want to see that all eligible residents receive a booster to maintain their optimal protection," Chabra said. Heres what rules will (and wont) change, People receiving medical or cosmetic service on the nose or face. Vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks in indoor or public spaces, but those who are unvaccinated must continue to wear their masks indoors. When choosing to wear a mask, ensure your mask provides the best. Santa Clara County Will lift its indoor mask requirements Tuesday, March 2 for unvaccinated people and March 12 for schools and child care facilities. 2. through pharmacies and free Of those four counties, only Marin is at the 80% vaccination rate required to lift the mandate. Health,Dignity Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. onMyTurn, though Ask bilingual California nurses live for free, Original COVID shots no longer authorized but newer ones are, FDA says. Marin County Public Health Director Dr. Matt Willis said the earliest date the mandate could end is Nov. 3, but the county needs to work hard to keep cases down to get there, and if cases and hospitalizations bump up, this date could easily be pushed back. The updated guidance is unchanged for general community settings and continues to use a framework based on the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. Health,Stanford California joined Oregon and Washington in lifting school mask mandates, officials announced Monday. He recently has said the state is preparing for the day when the coronavirus can be considered endemic, with rules that accept that it is here to stay but can be managed with caution. Of the eight, only Alameda and Marin pointed to specific criteria that health officials are using in their decision-making process.