Monterey County Health Officer Recommends Masks Indoors for Everyone
With cases of COVID-19 rising locally and increased reports of the very infectious Delta variant, the Counties of Monterey, Napa, San Benito, and Santa Cruz recommend that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places. Out of an abundance of caution, people are recommended to wear masks indoors in places like grocery or retail stores, theaters, and family entertainment centers, even if they are fully vaccinated.
The rise of the highly infectious Delta variants triggering an increase in COVID-19 cases is the main driver of the decision. The Centers for Disease Control reports that Delta variants are responsible for 58 percent of all new infections across the U.S.
And while Monterey County's case rate remains small at 2.2 cases per 100,000 residents, the cases have slightly more than doubled since July 2, when the rate was 0.9 per 100,000.
Businesses are urged to adopt universal masking requirements for customers entering indoor areas of their businesses to provide better protection to their employees and customers. This will also make it easier for businesses to be sure unvaccinated people are masked. Workplaces must comply with Cal/OSHA requirements.
In the coming weeks, the Health Officers will revisit the recommendation for everyone to mask indoors in public settings as they continue to monitor transmission rates, hospitalizations, deaths, and increasing vaccination rates throughout the region. Data can be monitored here.
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