Sacramento County reissues mask recommendation in response to COVID Delta variant
Sacramento County now recommends all residents wear masks in most public indoor settings to curb the spread of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, due to a “drastic” rise in local cases attributed to the Delta variant.
The county made the announcement Thursday morning, one day after neighboring Yolo County issued a similar advisory.
“While cases continue to surge and until vaccination rates have increased in Sacramento County, vaccinated residents are strongly recommended to wear masks in indoor settings where vaccination verification is not required and the vaccination status of others is unknown,” the county wrote in a news release, citing restaurants and grocery stores as example settings.
Sacramento’s recommendation comes exactly one month after California health officials dropped statewide mask requirements for the fully vaccinated in most indoor settings and the reopening of its economy June 15.
The daily case rate has risen from 3.8 per 100,000 residents to 10 per 100,000 in a little more than three weeks, the county said.
“The drastic increase in cases is concerning — as is the number of people choosing not to get vaccinated,” county health officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said in a prepared statement. “Our best protection against COVID-19 continues to be the vaccine. We urge all eligible residents to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves, and their family and friends.”
The local health office in its advisory said the county has confirmed 101 cases of the highly contagious Delta variant, “however not every specimen is tested for the variants — so actual numbers may be much higher.”
In Los Angeles County, public health officials announced Thursday the county would return to an indoor mask mandate Saturday. Los Angeles had issued a voluntary advisory in late June, recommending masks regardless of vaccination.
“On a statewide basis, our current Face Covering Guidance remains unchanged,” the California Department of Public Health wrote in an emailed response to The Sacramento Bee. “CDPH supports local health departments, like Yolo and Los Angeles counties, making stricter policies based on the conditions in their community. Vaccines remain the best protection against COVID-19, including the highly infectious Delta variant.”
The Sacramento and Yolo advisories are recommendations, not mandates.
“Even prior to us putting this guidance out, a lot of people chose to continue wearing face coverings … especially where you had mixed groups,” Kasirye said on a call with reporters Thursday morning. “So this is just an encouragement to those who were considering it, that it’s something additional they can do to help.”
This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Sacramento County reissues mask recommendation in response to COVID Delta variant."
