Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase has joined other Bay Area health officials in supporting a forthcoming regional suggestion for people to wear masks in indoor public settings.
The suggestion due out from the Association of Bay Area Health Officials this week comes because the region’s nine counties face increased flu and COVID-19 case rates — a trend playing out across the country.
“We just need to acknowledge there’s very high levels of various respiratory viruses this season,” said Mase, who’s a member of the association.
The suggestion applies to restaurants, stores, gyms, schools, workplaces and other indoor public settings, however it shouldn’t be a mandate.
Sonoma County lifted its indoor mask requirement in February and as a substitute introduced a suggestion to wear masks when in indoor public settings. The association’s guidance serves as a reminder of the long-standing suggestion to mask indoors, said Matt Brown, a Sonoma County spokesperson.
The confluence of influenza and COVID-19 has pushed greater than half of the region’s nine counties out of the underside tier designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to have the bottom level community spread.
Santa Clara County is within the high tier, where the CDC recommends people wear masks in public.
Napa, Solano, Contra Costa and Alameda counties have all moved to the medium tier, where universal masking is required in high-risk settings, including jails and homeless shelters, under state rules.
Solano County has not imposed any changes to its mask-related policies, in response to Jayleen Richards, public health administrator. The county has shunned mandating and even recommending residents mask up.
As an alternative, county officials “support” the appropriate for people to accomplish that “wherever they feel comfortable,” Richards told North Bay Business Journal.
Napa County will proceed to follow state guidance on masking, said Holly Dawson, deputy county CEO of communications.
“The Association of Bay Area Health Officials might be sharing preventive messages for keeping healthy for the vacations from respiratory viruses, but shouldn’t be making a selected suggestion to the region’s nine counties related to masking,” Dawson told the Journal.
Marin County spokesperson Laine Hendricks told the Journal that county health officials are sticking with their recommendations from last week for tactics to guard against winter viruses resembling COVID-19: stay current on shots, get treated, wear a mask, wash hands, and canopy the mouth when coughing or sneezing.
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit officials also “support” using masks by passengers and staff, however it’s not a mandate.
“We’re being attentive (to virus conditions), and we are going to adapt,” spokesman Matt Stevens told the Journal.
SMART lifted its mandate for face coverings last April.
Sonoma County and Marin County are within the low tier, but that would shift if the variety of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the variety of patients with the virus in intensive care units rise, said Mase.
As of Tuesday, 0.22% of Sonoma County’s population had energetic COVID-19 cases and 16.7% of ICU patients were COVID-19 positive, in response to county data.
The region has also been battling respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, but Mase noted those numbers can have peaked.
“We’re still seeing lots of influenza and COVID-19,” said Mase.
The CDC updates its data and tier designations every Thursday.
To remain healthy this holiday season, Mase said the coalition of Bay Area health officers is recommending people get vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19 if eligible, get tested for COVID-19 before going to any large gatherings, wear masks when traveling, avoid large gatherings if vulnerable or living with someone who’s vulnerable and to remain home if sick.
“Everybody stay secure, we’re not out of the woods with COVID,” said Mase. “Even if you happen to don’t get really sick with (the viruses), if you happen to’re unwell then you definately’re going to miss work, you’re going to miss the fun of the vacations.”
Mase said she expects the indoor masking suggestion might be in place into 2023, noting that the respiratory virus season often extends into March and sometimes April.
You possibly can reach Staff Author Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.
—
North Bay Business Journal contributed to this report.
Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase has joined other Bay Area health officials in supporting a forthcoming regional suggestion for people to wear masks in indoor public settings.
The suggestion due out from the Association of Bay Area Health Officials this week comes because the region’s nine counties face increased flu and COVID-19 case rates — a trend playing out across the country.
“We just need to acknowledge there’s very high levels of various respiratory viruses this season,” said Mase, who’s a member of the association.
The suggestion applies to restaurants, stores, gyms, schools, workplaces and other indoor public settings, however it shouldn’t be a mandate.
Sonoma County lifted its indoor mask requirement in February and as a substitute introduced a suggestion to wear masks when in indoor public settings. The association’s guidance serves as a reminder of the long-standing suggestion to mask indoors, said Matt Brown, a Sonoma County spokesperson.
The confluence of influenza and COVID-19 has pushed greater than half of the region’s nine counties out of the underside tier designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to have the bottom level community spread.
Santa Clara County is within the high tier, where the CDC recommends people wear masks in public.
Napa, Solano, Contra Costa and Alameda counties have all moved to the medium tier, where universal masking is required in high-risk settings, including jails and homeless shelters, under state rules.
Solano County has not imposed any changes to its mask-related policies, in response to Jayleen Richards, public health administrator. The county has shunned mandating and even recommending residents mask up.
As an alternative, county officials “support” the appropriate for people to accomplish that “wherever they feel comfortable,” Richards told North Bay Business Journal.
Napa County will proceed to follow state guidance on masking, said Holly Dawson, deputy county CEO of communications.
“The Association of Bay Area Health Officials might be sharing preventive messages for keeping healthy for the vacations from respiratory viruses, but shouldn’t be making a selected suggestion to the region’s nine counties related to masking,” Dawson told the Journal.
Marin County spokesperson Laine Hendricks told the Journal that county health officials are sticking with their recommendations from last week for tactics to guard against winter viruses resembling COVID-19: stay current on shots, get treated, wear a mask, wash hands, and canopy the mouth when coughing or sneezing.
Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit officials also “support” using masks by passengers and staff, however it’s not a mandate.
“We’re being attentive (to virus conditions), and we are going to adapt,” spokesman Matt Stevens told the Journal.
SMART lifted its mandate for face coverings last April.
Sonoma County and Marin County are within the low tier, but that would shift if the variety of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the variety of patients with the virus in intensive care units rise, said Mase.
As of Tuesday, 0.22% of Sonoma County’s population had energetic COVID-19 cases and 16.7% of ICU patients were COVID-19 positive, in response to county data.
The region has also been battling respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, but Mase noted those numbers can have peaked.
“We’re still seeing lots of influenza and COVID-19,” said Mase.
The CDC updates its data and tier designations every Thursday.
To remain healthy this holiday season, Mase said the coalition of Bay Area health officers is recommending people get vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19 if eligible, get tested for COVID-19 before going to any large gatherings, wear masks when traveling, avoid large gatherings if vulnerable or living with someone who’s vulnerable and to remain home if sick.
“Everybody stay secure, we’re not out of the woods with COVID,” said Mase. “Even if you happen to don’t get really sick with (the viruses), if you happen to’re unwell then you definately’re going to miss work, you’re going to miss the fun of the vacations.”
Mase said she expects the indoor masking suggestion might be in place into 2023, noting that the respiratory virus season often extends into March and sometimes April.
You possibly can reach Staff Author Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.
—
North Bay Business Journal contributed to this report.
