A single additional 7 days and the masks can arrive off in Santa Clara County.
With omicron conditions on the downturn, Santa Clara County overall health officers declared nowadays they system to carry the indoor mask mandate on March 2 for vaccinated persons. Santa Clara County was the past holdout following Los Angeles County officers mentioned they would loosen their procedures starting Friday.
“We are on track,” County Well being Officer Dr. Sara Cody mentioned at a push convention Thursday. “And specified the steady decline in scenarios that we continue to see, I’m confident we’ll be equipped to elevate the masking necessity on March 2.”
She additional, “I look forward to the working day when we can all easily acquire off our masks within.”
As of today, the county’s 7-working day average range of COVID-19 conditions is 504, with 262 persons at present receiving cure for the virus in hospitals. To officially take away the mask mandate, the county have to remain under a relocating seven-day average of 550 circumstances until March 2.
Though all other Bay Area counties dropped their indoor mask policies previously this month soon after the state loosened its requirements, Santa Clara County remained steadfast in maintaining its purchase in position. Final week, Cody defined in an job interview that she considered maintaining the mask mandate in location for a little bit more time would assistance stabilize hospitalizations and align with aims established by the county and its neighbors very last October. The go has been both of those applauded and condemned by county people and grew to become a subject of debate at this month’s Board of Supervisors meetings.
Per point out principles, masks are even now required on general public transit and in large-chance parts this kind of as jails, nursing homes and hospitals. And unvaccinated people today need to even now mask indoors.
The county’s impending variations will not impact masking in faculties, even so. That determination is remaining up to the state and a policy alter is envisioned by the stop of the month. In previous week’s job interview, Cody explained she expects the decision bordering masking in schools to be pushed off to counties just after the state’s envisioned announcement.
