Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Los Angeles County hasnt been in the high community level since late February. Because of this rapid rise, as well as the increasing presence of the more easily transmitted Delta variant of the virus, and the millions of people potentially at risk of infection, together we must reduce our risk of infection and our risk for potentially infecting others. Included are each county's vaccination rate, the peak number of cases per 100,000 residents, the current case rate, the peak number of hospitalizations per 100,000 residents and the current hospitalization numbers. Masking indoors must again become a normal practice by all, regardless of vaccination status, so that we can stop the trends and level of transmission we are currently seeing. More than than 10% of staffed hospital beds also would have to occupied by COVID patients. Santa Clara County Health Director Sara Cody disagrees. Here are notable counties that announced it will not align with the state's decision to ditch the indoor mask mandate: As for Southern California counties, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties are aligning with the state's decision to part with the indoor mask mandate starting Wednesday, February, 16. A woman adjusts her facemask while shopping in a clothing store on July 19, 2021 in Los Angeles. But Ferrer warned that the county is on track to move to the high viral level by next week, which would prompt an indoor-mask mandate. Certainly, the effectiveness of masks needs to be further assessed to determine how best to keep other possible deadly airborne viruses from spreading in the future. There is this common line of thinking that the pandemic is over and COVID is no longer of concern, but these numbers clearly demonstrate that COVID is still with us,County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said at a press conference Thursday. Whatever mask you wear, make sure it fits to your face closely and without gaps. 19 cases previously reported were not in Public Health's jurisdiction * Means that case numbers include cases associated with correctional facility outbreaks located in the city/community. A year ago on July 17, 2021 the county reissued a universal mask mandate in response to the Delta variant, which lasted through March 4. Californians, regardless of the county they live in, must still mask up in K-12 schools, public transportation and nursing homes. We offer subscribers exclusive access to our best journalism.Thank you for your support. Children are still required to keep their masks on at school, COVID-19 deaths have been in the headlines again, as Californias death toll surpassed 100,000 last week. And another report, published by the CDC in February, said consistent use of a high-quality face covering such as an N95 or KN95 respirator in indoor public settings was associated with 83% lower odds of testing positive for the coronavirus, compared with those who didnt wear a mask. ", RELATED: Travelers coming into CA should make COVID testing part of their travel plans, state recommends. Orange Eric Ting is SFGATE's politics editor. Having trouble loading the tracker above? Were saying there is need to worry, Ferrer said. 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. Californians, regardless of the county Kazarian said she had had four shots for COVID-19. Oddly, among the numerous studies analyzed in the Cochrane report was one from Bangladesh and one from Denmark, both of which show masking helped stop the spread of COVID-19. We expect to keep masking requirements in place until we begin to see improvements in our community transmission of COVID-19. There are still a number of settings where masking remains mandatory, including healthcare and long-term care facilities, emergency shelters, cooling centers, jails and prisons, and at worksites experiencing a coronavirus outbreak. Some California counties including eight in the Bay Area and some in Los Angeles and Sacramento implemented new indoor mask mandates in response. Here's some guidance from the state of California on current mask recommendations and requirements. Officials argued that COVID's spread has also waned significantly across the region and that relaxing mask requirements is part of a shift toward a "new normal" of living with the virus rather than attempting to snuff out its spread completely. Virus-related hospital admissions are now at 192 per day, a 200% increase from the same date, she said. Though the county is still a few weeks away from possibly mandating indoor masking, health officials have strongly recommended the practice for months and continue to do so. Becoming fully vaccinated against COVID-19 remains the best protective action that people can take if they are eligible for it. The state requires employers to provide unvaccinated employees with NIOSH-certified respirator masks for voluntary use when working indoors, or in a vehicle with others. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. The medium risk level still only makes masking strongly recommended.. Gavin Newsom on Monday. According to federal estimates, BA.5 accounted for 65% of the nations coronavirus cases over the weeklong period ending Saturday, an astonishing climb from a month ago, when it made up 17% of cases. Although masks are currently optional throughout the county, they are still required in healthcare facilities and congregate care locations like nursing homes, per the departments website. No other California counties currently have public indoor mask mandates, although the state Department of Public Health strongly recommends but does not require the practice. However, [the current trend] does signal that case rates and hospitalizations are elevated, and we could be in the high community level as soon as next week, she said. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/, https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index-sp.html, https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus, Los Angeles County (excl. Eric did his undergrad at Pomona College, where he majored in politics and minored in economics. 313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 806 | LosAngeles, CA 90012 If L.A. County falls back to the medium level during either of the next two weeks, the clock would reset, pushing the earliest date for any new mask order into August. "We're taking a different course in Santa Clara County in that we are continuing to follow our data and metrics to tell us when it's appropriate to lift," she said. Dr. Mark Ghaly announced Monday in a press conference that the state will reassess the current mask requirement for schools on Feb. 28. Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Oakland is located, issued a mask mandate Friday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved it and a dozen other California counties into the highest level for the virus as measured by case counts as well as hospital admissions and capacity. The latest rate was 10.5 new weekly hospitalizations for every 100,000 residents, according to the county Department of Public Health. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, state will reassess the current mask requirement for schools, lifted the universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings, Mask mandate to remain in place for CA schools as guidelines lift for other indoor activities, Mask mandates to be lifted in almost all of Bay Area, Could the pandemic end soon? Given both the increases in hospitalizations and the lack of certainty in the winter trajectory for COVID-19, continuing some common-sense mitigation strategies that we know work to limit transmission and illness, including masking and being up to date on vaccines and boosters, remains a very sensible approach, Ferrer said. That may have seemed like a technical footnote to many people, if they were paying attention at all. The county wanted to hit three key metrics before changing the mandate and Dr. Sara Cody, the county's public health officer, says next week looks to be the time we will lift the indoor mask mandate. The new rule applies to schools and child care facilities. Sacramento County's vaccination rate is higher (among eligible residents, it's probably somewhere in the 60% to 65% range) than neighboring San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, two of the counties hardest hit by the delta wave. California lifted its statewide mask mandate on June 15 for people who were vaccinated, a date Gov. A study recently published by the Cochrane, a respected British nonprofit that conducts reviews of health care data, concluded there was no evidence that mask mandates were effective contrary to numerous other studies. Interestingly, San Diego County which has a higher vaccination rate than Los Angeles and Orange counties had a higher case rate than those two counties, but similar hospitalization figures. A memorial service for the living? Ferrer pointed to studies suggesting universal masking orders have been effective at reducing viral transmission. Disputes about whether coronavirus vaccines work have been settled, but questions about their side effects or whether they should be required have not. ", VIDEO: Could the pandemic end soon? Thats up from a rate of 8.4 the previous week, according to the county. These numbers are subject to change based on further investigation. COVID-19 pandemic most likely began with a lab leak, U.S. Department of Energy says. How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine, Data tracker: Coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations in every Bay Area county, Map shows everywhere you can get a COVID-19 test in the Bay Area, What to know about rapid COVID at-home tests as demand for testing surges, COVID Variant: 5 reasons you should not deliberately catch omicron to 'get it over with'. Fresno officer hospitalized after being exposed to unknown substance, Fresno Co. sheriff's captain investigated for sexual behavior comments, Man killed in single-car crash in Tulare County, CHP says. 5:40 pm Diana Lambert The California Supreme Court wasted little time denying a petition from the Orange County Board of Education today that asked the court to overturn the states mask mandate. Todays test positivity rate is 3.7%; on June 15, the test positivity rate was around 0.5%. By DON THOMPSON February 8, 2022 GMT. The next closest was Santa Clara County (84% vaccination rate), at a peak of nine hospitalizations per 100,000 residents. The quick development of coronavirus vaccines changed the game and could do so again if the process can be replicated when another deadly outbreak hits or, ideally, before it. In Los Angeles County, all indoor public settings are still required to have everyone mask up, regardless of their vaccination status. Click here to open it in a new window. While several counties have imposed their own mask mandates after Californias grand reopening on June 15, about half of the states population has lived in Prior to letting the mandate expire after February 15, Newsom's office brought back the statewide indoor mask requirement in December 2021 after the omicron variant cases surged across California. Luke Money is a Metro reporter covering breaking news at the Los Angeles Times. Theyll have rolling mandates forever, the writer said, adding that its been very normal in their hometown of Louisville, KY. Other commenters were more open to the idea, with one person writing, How do you prevent long Covid? By contrast, an order from L.A. County would instantly affect 10 million residents, give or take the roughly 600,000 residents of Long Beach and Pasadena. When Gov. 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 arent any reports of a new, troubling variant circulating, Ferrer said. Learn more: Read California's updated face-covering guidance. Is it COVID, a cold or the flu? Face masks can help slow the spread of coronavirus and single layer cloth masks are the least effective, unless they are layered, preferably with three or more. The mask and distancing mandates and closures all started before vaccines were available. 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Of the three new deaths reported today, one person that passed away was over the age of 80, and two people who passed were between the ages of 50 and 64. All the while, scientific research has sought to shed light on what worked and what didnt. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer explained the county's indoor masking rule will remain in place until the county's virus-transmission rate falls to the "moderate" level, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and stays there for two weeks. The discussion of these matters has been vigorous, if among a smaller segment of the population than early in the pandemic. Most Bay Area counties, with the exception of Santa Clara Co., are following the state's lead and lift their indoor mask mandates as omicron cases decrease. A renewed mandate would apply indoors for those 2 and older at a familiar host of establishments and venues including shared office space, manufacturing and retail settings, event spaces, restaurants and bars, gyms and yoga studios, educational settings and childrens programs. Sacramento County became the third California county to convert its indoor mask recommendation into a mandate a day after new guidance from the state encouraged all individuals regardless of vaccination status to mask indoors. California to lift mask mandate in schools on March 12. This comes as California Governor Gavin Newsom's office announced earlier in February that the state's indoor mask mandate will expire after Tuesday, February 15. California to lift mask mandate in schools on March 12. The authors noted that their confidence in these results is generally low to moderate for the subjective outcomes related to respiratory illness., The results might change when further evidence becomes available, the study concludes. This fact is furtherreinforced when looking at the hospitalization numbers from Marin and San Mateo counties, the only two Bay Area counties where more than 90% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated. For most of the pandemic, people in Hong Kong have been required to wear a mask in indoor and outdoor public areas. Get KN95 masks in multiple sizes for $1.50 each, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, 'Really cool sight': Rare waterspout forms in Northern California, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, A different horse': Bay Area will likely continue to see rain, Avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building amid blizzard, What it looks like inside Coit Towers former apartment, Plan to bring bullet train from LA to Vegas is underway, Man shot dead near San Francisco Ferry Building, My meal at this landmark SF spot was too expensive to be so bad, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to heavy snow and ice, Popular yet divisive fast food chain coming to this Bay Area town, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). I wasn't a BeyHive member. Health & Human Services Agency Sec. San Diego Countys mask mandate didnt keep COVID-19 Pedestrians wearing face masks walk down Market street in San Francisco, Calif. on August 5, 2021. Here are a few easy ways to tell, Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area, Here's how to take a rapid COVID-19 test accurately at home, Here's everything you need to know about COVID-19 booster shots, How to show proof of vaccination in San Francisco or anywhere in California, Can a breakthrough infection still lead to long haul COVID-19? I wasn't a BeyHive member. Some experts, though, have noted that Alameda Countys mask mandate was the only time a lone county in the San Francisco Bay Area has issued a mask order without other major counties doing so as well. On June 15, the day of the full reopening, the County saw 210 new cases and today the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirms the highest number of new COVID-19 cases since mid-March with 1,537 new cases. Experts warned for years that the world was overdue for another pandemic. Solano and Contra Costa had similar peak case-per-capita numbers (45 and 39, respectively), but Contra Costa saw about half of the hospitalizations per capita than Solano did, thanks to the fact that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at protecting against severe disease and hospitalization. All vaccination numbers come from individual county websites, while case and hospitalization numbers come from the California Department of Public Health. We are not asking you to forgo activities you love, Ferrer said. Gavin Newsom heralded as the states grand reopening. 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