Solano County Health Officer Won’t Follow CDC’s Indoor Mask Recommendation

Most residents said they will follow CDC’s guidelines despite the county not echoing the recommendation

NBC Bay Area, by Jodi Hernandez, July 27, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control is reversing course and is now recommending that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks indoors, specially in parts of the country where COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

In the Bay Area, Solano County has been seeing 100 COVID-19 cases a day, which is more than double from last week. However, the county health officer does not think masking up indoors.

Dr. Bela Matyas, Solano County’s health officer, said the CDC’s recommendation is misguided.

“The transmission that’s occurring in people’s homes, backyards, camping,” he said, “it’s not an environment where masking recommendations are going to apply.”

“Nothing has changed with respect to the science to warrant the CDC’s change in its recommendation,” he said.

Most people in Solano County said they will follow the CDC’s guidance despite the county not echoing the recommendation.

“I am fine wearing a mask,” Benicia resident Linda Martino said. “I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

The owner of Art Centric in Benicia even put up her “masks required” sign up again.

“Now that we’re seeing cases rise, I want to protect myself as well as my customers,” said Aline Karpoyan.

“I’d like to be through with this,” said resident Laura Harper.

“Everybody get vaccinated, get past the masks and past the COVID thing all together.”