Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a new order Thursday mandating that Californians wear masks in most public settings as the state sees an uptick in new coronavirus cases and businesses reopen.
The mandate calls for Californians to cover up while waiting in lines or indoors in public places, in various work settings and while in healthcare facilities. Here are the details:
You must wear a mask when …
You’re inside any public space or waiting in line to enter one
You’re in any healthcare setting, like a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic or blood bank
You’re waiting for or riding on public transportation or while in a taxi or ride-sharing vehicle
You’re interacting with a member of the public at work, or working in any space visited by the public, even if you’re alone inside the workplace
You’re working in a setting where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution
You’re working in — or walking through — common areas like hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking lots
You’re in any room or enclosed area where other people, except for members of your own household, are present — and physical distancing is difficult
You’re driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, private car service or ride-sharing vehicle and other passengers are present
You’re outside in a public space and physical distancing isn’t possible
You don’t have to wear a mask if …
You’re a child under the age of 2
You have a medical, mental health, or developmental disability that prevents wearing a mask
You’re hard of hearing or communicating with someone hard of hearing who needs to see your face
Wearing a face covering would create a risk related to your work — as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines
You’re obtaining a service involving the nose or face and need to take off the mask to do so
You’re eating at a restaurant, provided you’re at least six feet away from the nearest table
You’re swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running outside and able to maintain social distance
You’re incarcerated. Prisons and jails will have their own specific guidance on face masks, according to the state
San Francisco Chronicle, by Alejandro Serrano , Anna Bauman , Rita Beamish and Brett Simpson, updated June 18, 2020
7:58 p.m. June 17, 2020 – Solano County case spike reflects ‘preliminarily positive’ data, official says: Solano County reporting 105 new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday reflects a change in data reporting and a local outbreak among vineyard workers, county public health administrator Jayleen Richards wrote in an email. The new cases marked a 15.2% increase in Solano County’s total. Richards wrote the county has experienced “significant” delays in confirming results from two state-run test sites and has begun considering preliminary positive tests as positive cases in order to begin case investigations. “The data jump should be a one-time event since we started to include the preliminary data today,” Richards wrote. Wednesday’s case total also includes an outbreak among vineyard workers housed in Solano County and working in other counties who were recently tested for the virus, Richards wrote.
12:12 p.m. June 18, 2020 – Californians must wear masks outside home under new state order: People must immediately begin wearing masks outside the home when they cannot safely distance from other people to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, state health officials ordered Thursday, a day after reporting the largest number of new cases in a single day. The Chronicle’s Alexei Koseff reports.
June 18, 2020 1:35 p.m. – Kids and teenagers appear to be less likely to get the coronavirus and get sick than adults: A study recently published in Nature found that those under 20 are half as susceptible to infection as those that age or older, and only one in five between the ages of 10 and 19 show symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the figure of coronavirus-infected kids younger than 18 at more than 90,000, or around 4% of those with the disease. [BenIndy Editor:Compare at 6.6% in Solano County as of June 17.] See our detailed FAQ on the coronavirus and children for more.
Californians must now wear face coverings in public spaces, no matter the county you live in.
Gov. Gavin Newsom now says face coverings are mandatory in the state of California.Patch, by Renee Schiavone, June 18, 2020
CALIFORNIA — The debate at the county level about whether face coverings should be mandatory or not appears to be over for now, as California officials announced Thursday that the masks are now required in all public places. The requirement is effective immediately.
Click to view the 18 June 2020 CA Guidance order requiring Face Coverings
“Californians are now required to wear face coverings in public spaces – particularly indoors or when physical distancing is not possible,” the governor’s office said in a tweet.
The state’s health and human services agency said cloth face coverings “help reduce the spread of coronavirus especially when combined with physical distancing and frequent hand washing.”
There are some exemptions, including for those under 2 years old, those who need to communicate via sign language and those seated at a restaurant.
The state’s 58 counties had previously been allowed to make the decision on face covering requirements locally. Orange County had been in the headlines most recently, downgrading their requirement to a “recommendation.” Other counties in the Bay Area have had a face covering mandate in place for months.
The state’s 58 counties had previously been allowed to make the decision on face covering requirements locally. Orange County had been in the headlines most recently, downgrading their requirement to a “recommendation.” Other counties in the Bay Area have had a face covering mandate in place for months. [Editor: CORRECTION – Solano County is the one Bay Area County that does NOT have a mandatory face covering order. – R.S.]
NEW: Californians are now required to wear face coverings in public spaces – particularly indoors or when physical distancing is not possible. ????
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) June 18, 2020
The state listed certain “high risk” situations where the coverings are mandatory:
Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space;
Obtaining services from the healthcare sector in settings including, but not limited to, a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic, or blood bank;
Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle;
Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when:
Interacting in-person with any member of the public;
Working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time;
Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;
Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;
In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance.
Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle when passengers are present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are strongly recommended.
While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of six feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible.
The following individuals are exempt from wearing a face covering, according to the state:
Children aged two and under;
Persons with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability that prevents wearing a face covering;
Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;
Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service;
Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence;
Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others;
Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails, as part of their mitigation plans, will have specific guidance on the wearing of face coverings of masks for both inmates and staff.
GREAT NEWS… MANDATORY MASK ORDER PASSED UNANIMOUSLY IN BENICIA ! (UPDATE – FINAL DRAFT OF RESOLUTION)
By Pat Toth-Smith, Benicia resident, June 17, 2020
Benicia city council did the right thing last night after much discussion and overwhelming support came from many callers and letters.
Congratulations to all who worked hard on getting this passed! Benicia is now a safe place to shop and be !!!!!! ????????????????❤️❤️
Thank you council member Steve Young and Mayor Elizabeth Patterson for taking the lead, doing the right and hard thing for our citizens early. And thank you city staff and police chief Upson for your work on this. Thank you council member, Tom Campbell for coming around quickly during the meeting to vote for it, you got the ball rolling. And lastly, thank you to council members Largaespada and Strawbridge for also doing the right thing in the end for us citizens even if you maybe didn’t agree with all of it.
Vallejo Times-Herald, by Fiona Kelliher, June 19, 2020
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