Palm Springs Drops Mask Mandate

Palm Desert CA

25 February, 2022

6:54 PM

Description

PALM SPRINGS, CA — Starting Monday, Palm Springs residents and visitors will no longer be required to wear masks indoors, or show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests in bars and restaurants. The city's announcement came Friday and aligns with pandemic safety requirements established by state and federal guidelines. Masks will continue to be required indoors at City Hall and in all other city facilities, officials said. "I am pleased to report that our COVID-19 case rate in Palm Springs is now lower than the county and state average," said City Manager Justin Clifton. "Due to this recent data, case numbers in Palm Springs are expected to decrease even more in the coming week — and we feel confident that local restrictions can now be lifted." According to Clifton, Palm Springs is now averaging just nine new cases of COVID-19 per day. The city's stance follows the expiration at 12:01 a.m. Feb. 16 of California's universal mask mandate. Per the California Department of Public Health, masks are no longer required in indoor spaces for fully vaccinated individuals with some restrictions. On Friday, the Biden administration also loosened federal COVID-19 mask guidance as infection rates return to pre-omicron variant levels around the country. The new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask framework categorizes counties by "low," "medium" or "high" risk. The CDC isn't recommending mask-wearing in the first two categories, except among people who have underlying health conditions that put them at high risk for COVID-19. Riverside County is considered "medium risk" under the CDC guidance. As for schools, masking is only recommended at campuses located in counties with a "high risk" of infection. It's unclear how the state will respond to the latest CDC update. On Feb. 17, state officials announced California's framework based on the idea that the virus will be a continuing presence. The state's "SMARTER" plan emphasizes vaccinations and testing, along with continued education about the virus, communication with residents about conditions as they change, and vigilance for new variants that could potentially emerge and lead to new surges. Riverside County has followed state and federal guidelines on coronavirus. Riverside County COVID Stats The number of COVID-positive patients in Riverside County hospitals continued to drop Friday, to 289, down from 311, according to the latest county figures. Of those patients, 53 were in intensive care, down five from the previous day. The latest numbers come as the Riverside University Health System reported seven additional deaths connected to COVID-19, bringing the county's virus-related death toll to 6,194 since the pandemic began. Fatalities are considered trailing indicators because of delays processing death certificates, meaning some deaths may have actually occurred weeks ago, according to health officials. The RUHS also reported 654 new positive COVID tests Friday. The total number of COVID-19 cases recorded in the county since the pandemic began in March 2020 is 590,199.