Health & Fitness
Masks Indoors: Santa Cruz Co. Businesses Urged To Require Them
As COVID-19 cases rise, officials across the Golden State have started to reconsider mask guidelines.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Santa Cruz County recommended Monday that all people, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public as COVID-19 cases are on the rise.
Santa Cruz County was joined by Monterey, San Benito and Napa counties in setting the new guidelines as the highly transmissible delta variant becomes increasingly common. The variant comprised four in 10 COVID-19 specimens sequenced in California as of June and was responsible for six in 10 new infections nationwide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise statewide, particularly among people who have not been vaccinated, officials said.
Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Los Angeles County was the first to tighten restrictions Thursday when it mandated masks indoors for all. The next day, health officers in the City of Berkeley and counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma announced that masks were recommended for indoor use.
Officials urged businesses to enact masking requirements for all customers entering an indoor business to protect workers and customers. Fully vaccinated employees were encouraged to wear masks, per state guidelines.
Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Well-fitting masks should completely cover the nose and mouth and fit snugly around the nose and sides of the face.
Officials continued to urge people to get fully vaccinated, as research indicated that all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States are effective in preventing infection and serious illness.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. People with one dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are not fully protected.
Health officers said Monday that they will revisit the recommendation and continue to monitor COVID-19 related transmission rates, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccination rates.
Sign up for a vaccine online or call 211.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
