An association representing 12 Bay Area health officers and their local jurisdictions announced Wednesday that it strongly supports the California Department of Public Health's decision to continue with current masking guidance until June 15, the date earmarked by the state to fully reopen the economy.
The Association of Bay Area Health Officials said in a statement that while great progress has been made in vaccinating Californians, there remain large numbers of unvaccinated people in the region. The next month is critical to ensure more vaccinations and allow businesses to prepare for the updated masking guidelines.
Recent data shows that close to half of all Californians age 16 and over are fully inoculated while almost 65% have received at least one vaccine dose.
In Alameda County, nearly 75% of people 16 and older have had at least one shot.
“Thanks to so many in our community who have gotten vaccinated, we have come a long way and can finally start to see a return to normalcy in our area,” Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County Health Officer, said. “This next month is our chance to further increase vaccination rates. Wear your mask now, so we can get to June 15 together.”
Last week the CDC updated its mask policy, announcing that fully vaccinated people don't have to wear a mask or practice distancing in many indoor settings. However, California has yet to align with those same rules and maintained it will keep its current guidelines until June 15.
Current mask guidance in the California requires fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in public settings like restaurants, offices and stores for several more weeks. They do not have to wear masks outdoors unless they are in a crowded space like a sporting event or concert.
KCBS Radio reported Tuesday that despite the loosened restrictions, many vaccinated people in the Bay Area continue to wear masks outside even knowing they aren’t required.
The Local Health Jurisdictions represented by The Association of Bay Area Health Officials are the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and the City of Berkeley.
Related
