If your child begins their two-dose series for the Pfizer vaccine today, they would be able to get their second dose of the vaccine on August 5 and would be fully vaccinated as of August 19. He is an East Bay native who has a Master's degree in journalism from Stanford University. Dr. Mark Ghaly announced Monday in a press conference that the state will reassess the current mask requirement for schools on Feb. 28. RELATED: Valley parents await state announcement on masks in schools. This story has been shared 124,559 times. Solano and Contra Costa had similar peak case-per-capita numbers (45 and 39, respectively), but Contra Costa saw about half of the hospitalizations per capita than Solano did, thanks to the fact that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at protecting against severe disease and hospitalization. Health officials have long said the county was inching closer to the metrics for a new mask measure, and those warnings are now closer than ever as the latest COVID-19 wave continues to wash over the region. Some experts, though, have noted that Alameda Countys mask mandate was the only time a lone county in the San Francisco Bay Area has issued a mask order without other major counties doing so as well. A year ago on July 17, 2021 the county reissued a universal mask mandate in response to the Delta variant, which lasted through March 4. California updated its indoor mask mandate for public settings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When Gov. Theyll have rolling mandates forever, the writer said, adding that its been very normal in their hometown of Louisville, KY. Other commenters were more open to the idea, with one person writing, How do you prevent long Covid? | (213)240-8144 | media@ph.lacounty.gov. A Settlement: San Mateo County has agreed to pay $4.5 million to the family California officials are expected to announce a timeline for relaxing their own school mask mandate. From June 27 to July 3, the number of sequenced Delta variants was 124, 71% of all sequences collected that week. Among L.A. County residents 16 and over, 69% have received one dose of vaccine and 61% have been fully vaccinated. Were caring for more kids than we have beds for, Dr. James Schneider, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at Long Island Jewish Hospital, said at the time. WebOfficial website of The City Of Ojai Ojai City Hall. Though the county is still a few weeks away from possibly mandating indoor masking, health officials have strongly recommended the practice for months and continue to do so. I wasn't a BeyHive member. But its a serious piece of scientific work and needs to be taken as such, ideally free of the familiar political context. Masking indoors must again become a normal practice by all, regardless of vaccination status, so that we can stop the trends and level of transmission we are currently seeing. Disputes about whether coronavirus vaccines work have been settled, but questions about their side effects or whether they should be required have not. Los Angeles and Yolo were the counties that had indoor mask mandates in place ahead of the state's new guidance Wednesday on the more contagious delta variant. All Federal employees, onsite contractors, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a high-quality mask inside of Federal buildings in areas The quick development of coronavirus vaccines changed the game and could do so again if the process can be replicated when another deadly outbreak hits or, ideally, before it. "So that's the difference. Yet, the debate over them continues to rage, in large part because of a new study raising questions about the effectiveness of wearing masks. The best way to manage the uncertainty, and to reduce morbidity and mortality, is to remain open to using both the sophisticated tools we now have our tests, our vaccines, our therapeutics and the non-pharmaceutical strategies, masking ventilation and distancing, to layer on protections to respond to the conditions at hand., Ferrer said the next two weeks will be spent reaching out to businesses so that theyre clear about their need to both supply those masks for all of their employees, make sure that their employees are masked appropriately indoors, and to do their best to message to their customers.. The discussion of these matters has been vigorous, if among a smaller segment of the population than early in the pandemic. Biden signs bill axing rail-worker plea for sick days befo 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, Influencer refuses to switch business class seats so family can sit together, Family raises 250-pound 'dog' for 2 years then realizes it's a bear, Kanye West and wife Bianca Censori look surprisingly happy on dinner date, Matthew Lawrence hugs, kisses TLCs Chilli during romantic airport reunion, Inside the Hollywood-script style life of Aubrey Plaza: a stroke, a tie-dye wedding and calls to be Bond, Good luck 'worming' your way out of this one, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle confirm they were asked to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage. Eric Ting is SFGATE's politics editor. According to the governor's office, unvaccinated individuals will still be required to wear masks in indoor public settings. Masks will still be required in high transmission areas like buses, hospitals, homeless shelters, and long-term care facilities. That study compared Massachusetts school districts after the state allowed them to lift mask requirements with two districts in the Boston area that chose not to. list of masks recommended by the California government. As a result, it's somewhat unsurprising it had lower case and hospitalization rates, though it's impossible to assess how much of that difference comes from masks as opposed to vaccines. New York Times columnist Bret Stephens raised the temperature of the debate by declaring the study showed Mask mandates were a bust.. How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine, Data tracker: Coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations in every Bay Area county, Map shows everywhere you can get a COVID-19 test in the Bay Area, What to know about rapid COVID at-home tests as demand for testing surges, COVID Variant: 5 reasons you should not deliberately catch omicron to 'get it over with'. It may seem easy to poke holes in the study, given those caveats. California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced Wednesday that the previous month-long indoor mask mandate was extended. Vaccines. Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Starting mid-March, masks will no longer be required, but will be 'strongly recommended' in California schools, according to updated guidance issued by Gov. To date, Public Health identified 1,262,578 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 24,566 deaths. COVID-19 pandemic most likely began with a lab leak, U.S. Department of Energy says. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. COVID-19 19 cases previously reported were not in Public Health's jurisdiction * Means that case numbers include cases associated with correctional facility outbreaks located in the city/community. The new rule applies to schools and child care facilities. Prior to letting the mandate expire after February 15, Newsom's office brought back the statewide indoor mask requirement in December 2021 after the omicron variant cases surged across California. When Gov. People wear face masks walking down Chestnut Street in San Francisco, Calif. on Jan. 4, 2022. With the high rates of transmission fueling the increased risks, sensible safety precautions that can slow down the spread of the virus are warranted, and that includes universal indoor masking, she said Thursday. The mandate, which went into effect in mid-July 2020, imposed a more than $600 fine to those who didn't follow mask rules. Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and the City of Berkeley will lifted the universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings. As of July 11, more than 10,712,037 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across Los Angeles County. But before you start to consider ditching the masks, a major caveat Californians must take into account is that local governments can continue to continue their own version of the indoor mask mandates. Kazarian said she had had four shots for COVID-19. Californias indoor mask mandate ends Wednesday, but teachers and students must keep masking up according to state guidelines. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). More than than 10% of staffed hospital beds also would have to occupied by COVID patients. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Mandate to last a month until Jan. 15, with health officials citing an increase in COVID-19 cases since Thanksgiving. Can I still get Beyonc tickets? California confirmed its plan to drop its universal indoor mask mandate next week as the omicron surge wanes in the state. By contrast, an order from L.A. County would instantly affect 10 million residents, give or take the roughly 600,000 residents of Long Beach and Pasadena. No other California counties currently have public indoor mask mandates, although the state Department of Public Health strongly recommends but does not require the practice. A renewed mandate would apply indoors for those 2 and older at a familiar host of establishments and venues including shared office space, manufacturing and retail settings, event spaces, restaurants and bars, gyms and yoga studios, educational settings and childrens programs. Earlier this month, The Post reported on staggering pediatric RSV numbers in New York City hospitals. The study, which analyzed the combined results of numerous studies, lit up the medical world and beyond. She has been with SFGATE for more than 10 years. According to the state, California educates 12% of the country's students in kindergarten through the 12th grade, yet with its stricter policies, has only accounted for 1% of school closures due to COVID-19. Here is a list of masks recommended by the California government. Orange County has a similar vaccination rate to Los Angeles County (Los Angeles County's rate for the total population is 61%, just two percentage points lower than Orange County's), which makes it much easier to compare the two counties to one another than it is to compare Solano County to the other Bay Area counties. Los Angeles County hasnt been in the high community level since late February. A woman adjusts her facemask while shopping in a clothing store on July 19, 2021 in Los Angeles. Taking preventative measures is especially important now as BA.4 and especially BA.5 can reinfect even those who recently contracted an earlier Omicron subvariant. Thats not exactly what the study said. Third California county turns mask recommendation into mandate. The authors noted that their confidence in these results is generally low to moderate for the subjective outcomes related to respiratory illness., The results might change when further evidence becomes available, the study concludes. Tune in toFOX 11Los Angelesfor the latest Southern California news. COVID-19 pandemic most likely began with a lab leak, U.S. Department of Energy says. Los Angeles County will not align with the state's new policy. The mask and distancing mandates and closures all started before vaccines were available. Ferrer said on Tuesday that the county's rate is declining, and at the current pace, it should reach the "moderate" level by March 16, meaning the indoor mask requirement could be lifted by March 30. A year ago on July 17, 2021 the county reissued a universal mask mandate in response to the Delta variant, which lasted through March 4. "We are able to take this next major step of removing the universal indoor mask requirement because we have laid a strong foundation in good public health protections -- especially vaccines and boosters -- and know we can reduce severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths," Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli said. Laboratory Confirmed Total Cases 1262578*, Age Group (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas), Gender (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas), Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas), Deaths Race/Ethnicity (Los Angeles County Cases Only-excl LB and Pas). Ferrer acknowledged that, for many, reinstituting an indoor mask order will feel like a step backward and that for others it will feel unnecessary because of the availability of powerful vaccines and therapeutics., The reality is that because were living with a mutating SARS-CoV-2 virus, there remains uncertainty around the trajectory of this pandemic, she said. A student died after being stabbed during a fight at a Santa Rosa high school on Wednesday morning, authorities said. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, L.A. County coronavirus deaths rising fast as ultra-contagious BA.5 fuels infection wave, Stunning spread of BA.5 shows why this California COVID wave is so different, Super-infectious BA.5 is a coronavirus beast. Heres how to protect yourself, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, A $150,000 executive protection dog? Eric did his undergrad at Pomona College, where he majored in politics and minored in economics. Is the Bay Area next? We cannot predict the future of the virus, but we are better prepared for it and will continue to take measures rooted in science to keep California moving forward.". People for whom wearing a mask would create a risk as they work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators, or workplace safety guidelines. The mayor also added that city attorneys are exploring additional vaccine mandates that extend beyond city employees, but did not elaborate further. Updated: 3:29 PM PST February 16, 2022. There are sometimes discrepancies between state data and data reported by counties. Experts warned for years that the world was overdue for Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). We are not asking people not to gather with the people they love. At the end of the day Thursday, the department reported 4,493 new COVID cases and 14 additional deaths, with current hospitalizations hovering at 1,164. This wouldnt be the first time Los Angeles County has acted alone. Universal masking of all staff and residents, regardless of vaccination status and Community Level, is required in all clinical areas (or when any healthcare is being Get KN95 masks in multiple sizes for $1.50 each, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, 'Really cool sight': Rare waterspout forms in Northern California, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, A different horse': Bay Area will likely continue to see rain, Avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building amid blizzard, What it looks like inside Coit Towers former apartment, Plan to bring bullet train from LA to Vegas is underway, Man shot dead near San Francisco Ferry Building, My meal at this landmark SF spot was too expensive to be so bad, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to heavy snow and ice, Popular yet divisive fast food chain coming to this Bay Area town, You can still overpack the smaller Monos check-in suitcase. Continued study of the pandemic and the actions taken to address it hopefully will reveal valuable lessons for the future. In those two counties, the peak number of hospitalizations per 100,000 residents was six and five, respectively. While several counties have imposed their own mask mandates after Californias grand reopening on June 15, about half of the states population has lived in He is an East Bay native who has a Master's degree in journalism from Stanford University. Were asking you to take a sensible step when theres this much transmission, with a highly transmissible variant, to go ahead and put back on a well-fitting, high-filtration mask when youre indoors around others. The L.A. County indoor masking requirements for everyone will be effective Saturday, July 17 at 11:59 p.m. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Starting mid-March, masks will no longer be required, but will be 'strongly recommended' in California schools, according to updated guidance issued by Gov. Here's what experts say about endemic phase. Because of this rapid rise, as well as the increasing presence of the more easily transmitted Delta variant of the virus, and the millions of people potentially at risk of infection, together we must reduce our risk of infection and our risk for potentially infecting others. Orange County a non-mask-mandate county had a very similar outcome to neighboring Los Angeles County, the first California county to bring back indoor masking in response to delta. Editor's note: The data in the chart above comes from the California This includes those for whom a mask could obstruct breathing, who are unconscious or incapacitated, unable to remove a mask without assistance. California will lift mask mandate as omicron cases fall . While requiring masks in schools is an excellent way to prevent transmission among children, now is a great time to plan on vaccinating your children who are 12 and older against COVID-19 before the school year starts. Sacramento County made its mandate announcement Thursday morning. However, [the current trend] does signal that case rates and hospitalizations are elevated, and we could be in the high community level as soon as next week, she said. In California, starting March 1, masks will no longer be required for unvaccinated individuals, but will be strongly recommended for all individuals in most The indoor mask mandate will remain in effect until the county can move back to the "medium" category, LA County's Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. To learn more about Los Angeles County Public Health, please visit www.publichealth .lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lacounty.gov, and follow LA County Public Health on social media at twitter.com/lapublichealth, facebook.com/lapublichealth, instagram.com/lapublichealth and youtube.com/lapublichealth. 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