Next week, Alameda County will become the fourth in the Bay Area to ease its indoor masking requirement.
Public health officials in the county and the City of Berkeley announced on Thursday that, beginning on Monday, masks will no longer be required in gyms, offices and religious gatherings, among other indoor spaces, where there are no more than 100 people and everyone is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The city and county joined seven other Bay Area counties' health officers in issuing a new mask mandate in August as the highly contagious delta variant spread throughout the region.
"Vaccinated people are less likely to become infected with COVID-19, especially if those around them are also vaccinated, and they are less likely to experience severe disease," Dr. Nicholas Moss, Health Officer for Alameda County, said in a release. “Allowing vaccinated people to remove their masks in these limited, controlled settings carries lower risk. If vaccinated people choose to continue wearing masks, they should feel comfortable doing so."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alameda County had fully vaccinated 71% of its total population through Wednesday. One of the parameters for the county to lift all indoor masking requirements is to fully vaccinate 80% of its population, or to wait until eight weeks after an emergency use authorization has been granted for children aged 5-11 to receive one of the vaccines.
The two-dose Pfizer vaccine is expected to receive an emergency use authorization by the end of next week, making it possible Alameda County could lift its indoor masking requirement at the end of the year. Hospitalizations also need to be at a level deemed low and stable by the county health officer, and there needs to be a "moderate" rate of spread, as defined by the CDC, for at least three weeks.
Alameda County was experiencing "moderate" transmission as of Wednesday, according to the agency, averaging 49.9 new cases per 100,000 residents over the previous seven days.
"Vaccinations, face coverings, and other easily available public health tools shepherded us to a safer future," Dr. Lisa Hernandez, Berkeley Health Officer, said in a release on Thursday. "As more of us vaccinate and protect each other, we open up more safe spaces."
San Francisco, Marin and Contra Costa counties have already eased, or announced plans to ease, indoor mask requirements in certain indoor settings.
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