City Of Davis: Yolo County, State Strongly Recommend All Residents Continue To Mask In Indoor Public Places

Press release from the City Of Davis:

February 28, 2022 4:29 pm

Starting March 1, the State of California has announced a strong recommendation for both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons to mask in indoor public places. Mask requirements will end, except for health care, long-term care, correctional, childcare and K-12 school, emergency shelter, and public transportation settings. Starting March 12, the State will strongly recommend masking in K-12 schools and childcare facilities, removing the current masking requirement. Yolo County continues to align with the State masking guidelines.

The State instituted four tiers of masking guidance depending on risk: Required, strongly recommended, recommended, and optional. Yolo County and the State realize COVID-19 has proved unpredictable and will respond to any change brought by more severe COVID-19 variant. The currently improving situation no longer necessitates masking mandates, but a worsening situation in the future could prompt a return to masking requirements.

“Yolo County continues to see a decrease in both cases and hospitalizations since the Omicron peak on January 9,” said Yolo County Health Officer, Dr. Aimee Sisson. “I continue to strongly recommend that everybody wear a mask indoors because the case rate in Yolo County remains high. Choose the best mask in terms of fit and filtration that you can consistently wear. An N95, KN95, or KF94 mask is the most protective mask available.”

Our understanding of the effectiveness of masking has evolved over the past two years of the pandemic. By wearing a mask that fits well and filters well, like an N95, KN95, or KF94, you can protect yourself against COVID-19, even if others around you are not masked. This is called one-way masking.

People have different levels of comfort with recent masking changes based on personal circumstances. As we move away from requirements to recommendations, respect for an individual’s masking choices is paramount. This respectful approach is supported by State guidelines, which indicate, “No person can be prevented from wearing a mask as a condition of participation in an activity or entry into a business.”

To learn more about Yolo County’s COVID-19 response, please visit www.yolocounty.org/covid and follow us on social media at www.twitter.com/YoloCountyCA or www.facebook.com/YoloCounty. 

This press release was produced by the City Of Davis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.