These 7 Sacramento museums will still require masks due to low local COVID vaccine rate
A group of seven museums in Sacramento, including the Crocker Art Museum, announced Friday they will continue to require all visitors to wear masks beyond Tuesday, when state and local health officials are set to loosen face covering restrictions for the fully vaccinated.
Their mask requirements will continue until further notice for all guests regardless of vaccination status, the museums said in a statement, citing low local vaccine numbers as well as the need to protect children under age 12 who cannot yet be vaccinated.
The seven museums are the Aerospace Museum of California, California Museum, Crocker Art Museum, Locke Boarding House, Sacramento Children’s Museum, SMUD museum and the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society museum.
“We are united in our commitment to maintaining the safest experience for all by extending our mask requirement until further notice,” the museums wrote in a joint statement, emailed by California Museum spokeswoman Brenna Hamilton.
“The extension is critical to protecting vulnerable community members, including children under 12 who are currently ineligible for vaccines, since only about 40% of greater Sacramento area residents are fully vaccinated.”
Data updated Friday by the California Department of Public Health shows about 42% of Sacramento County residents as fully vaccinated, compared to 47% statewide.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials since early April have set June 15 as the target date for fully reopening California’s economy. They’ve affirmed recently that this will include adopting federal guidance updated last month saying those who are fully vaccinated can safely go without masks or social distancing in most indoor settings, once they are two weeks beyond their final dose.
Sacramento County’s local health office has signaled it will follow the state’s lead, lifting the local health order the same day.
However, businesses, museums, event venues and other entities may keep mandatory mask policies in place if they choose to, state guidance makes clear.
The statement noted that each individual museum’s policies are subject to change. “We all look forward to the day when we can safely lift the mask requirement,” it said.
