City Of Alameda: Eleven Bay Area Health Officers To Lift Most Indoor Mask Mandates 2/16

Alameda CA

10 February, 2022

10:26 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Alameda: February 09, 2022 Masks still strongly recommended; vaccines and boosters urged to further strengthen defenses Unvaccinated individuals over age 2 will continue to be required to wear masks in all indoor public settings. Businesses, venue operators and hosts may determine their own paths forward to protect staff and patrons and may choose to require all patrons to wear masks. Bay Area health officers, in alignment with CDPH, continue to strongly recommend masks be used as an effective tool to prevent the spread of the virus especially when case rates are high, or when additional personal protection is needed. Continuing to mask in indoor public settings, especially crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, remains the safest choice for an individual and protects those who are medically vulnerable or are not able to get vaccinated, like our youngest children. As evidence continues to show, vaccinations and boosters remain the best defense against the virus. People should continue to choose layered prevention strategies, such as wearing well-fitted masks (N95 or double layer cloth over surgical are best); staying home and testing when symptomatic; testing before gatherings; and improving indoor ventilation in situations where these strategies can add protection for themselves and others. Staying "up to date" on vaccinations, meaning primary series and boosters when eligible, remains the most important way to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. A combination of preventative strategies, which included mask use, vaccination, boosters and testing, along with the community's cooperation helped get the Bay Area through this latest surge together as a stronger community. By aligning with the state masking rules, the participating Bay Area counties will not need to meet previously established criteria for lifting local masking orders, which were devised at a different point in the pandemic. For early education programs, such as preschool and childcare settings, CDPH continues to require masking for children older than age two. Vaccinations for children under 5 are currently undergoing federal review. Workplaces will continue to follow theCOVID-19 prevention standardsset by CalOSHA. ###   This press release was produced by the City of Alameda. The views expressed here are the author's own.