First California County reinstates COVID mask mandate
Alameda County issued a new mask mandate in most indoor public settings, effective Friday, as coronavirus cases climb.
The county, home to Oakland, is the San Francisco Bay Area’s second-most populous. Alameda County’s move represents the first time a California county has issued a mask mandate since the winter Omicron surge faded.
The order does not apply to K-12 school settings through the end of the school year, nor does it apply to Berkeley, which is in Alameda County but has its own public health department.
Officials are deciding how best to respond now that COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising after plunging in the spring.
“Rising COVID cases in Alameda County are now leading to more people being hospitalized, and today’s action reflects the seriousness of the moment,” Dr. Nicholas Moss, Alameda County’s health officer, said in a statement.
“We cannot ignore the data, and we can’t predict when this wave may end. Putting our masks back on gives us the best opportunity to limit the impact of a prolonged wave on our communities.”
Alameda County has averaged just more than 830 new cases a day over the last seven days, up 20% from two weeks ago.
As of Wednesday, the state has averaged 14,692 new cases a day, up 30% from two weeks ago. Hospitalizations have ticked up 41% compared with the previous two weeks.
Deaths, however, dropped nearly 12%.
The reinstatement of the mask order in Alameda County comes as coronavirus cases in Southern California also continue to climb and cause disruptions.
“If we continue on the current trajectory, we could find that cases and hospitalizations end up exerting stress on our healthcare system within just a few weeks,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a recent briefing.
