California COVID mask mandate ending, with exceptions. What Fresno residents need to know
California’s mandate for people to wear face coverings in indoor public places is expiring – but not necessarily for everyone.
Starting Wednesday, people who are fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus with either two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be able to venture into stores, restaurants and businesses without having to wear a face mask.
In Fresno County, where the population is just over 1 million people, that includes about 58% of residents, or about 594,000 people.
For those who aren’t fully vaccinated or those yet to even receive any vaccine dose, however, the expectation is to keep wearing face masks indoors to limit the spread of COVID-19 and its highly contagious omicron variant. In Fresno County, more than one-third of the overall population – about 370,000 people – is not vaccinated at all.
It’s a return to the requirements in place in mid-December, as a surge of cases attributed to the omicron variant swept through Fresno County, neighboring San Joaquin Valley counties, and much of the rest of California.
Now, as that surge wanes, it’s uncertain how much of a difference it will make in the Valley – where the response to the mask mandate has included not only unwillingness to actively enforce the mandate but also in outright defiance by some.
“Honestly, I don’t think we’re going to see a huge change in people’s habits,” Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County interim health officer, said last week. “I think people have made up their minds about how they want to practice their daily activities.” In Fresno County, health officials will continue to rely on voluntary compliance by residents.
What the rules mean locally
Regardless of how many people may or may not comply with them, here are the nuts and bolts of the state’s new masking rules:
Fully vaccinated: If you are at least two weeks past your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 shot, or your shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are considered fully vaccinated and there is no masking requirement in most indoor public spaces such as restaurants, stores and other businesses. When transmission rates are high, masking is recommended even for people who are fully vaccinated.
Not fully vaccinated: If you have not had two Pfizer or Moderna doses or one Johnson & Johnson dose, you are considered not fully vaccinated and are expected to continue wearing a mask in indoor public spaces.
Child-care, elementary and high school students: The same state requirements that applied in December and through the past two months continue to be in place. Students in kindergarten through 12 grades, as well as teachers and staff, and anyone in a child-care setting over the age of 2, are still required to wear masks when they are indoors regardless of their vaccination status, but the masks are optional when outside.
Public transportation: If you’re aboard a train, bus, airplane or ride-share, or in an airport, bus or train terminal, masks are still required regardless of vaccination status.
Emergency shelters: Masks are required of people in emergency shelters, regardless of vaccination status.
Cooling or heating centers: In places that are opened to the public to provide relief during periods of extreme hot or cold weather, masks continue to be required regardless of vaccination status.
Health care facilities: Masks will still be mandatory in hospitals, medical and dental offices and other health care facilities, regardless of vaccination status.
Jails and prisons: Masks will remain required in state and local correctional facilities including jails and prisons, no matter a person’s vaccination status.
Homeless shelters: Masks are required of people in homeless shelters regardless of vaccination status.
Long-term care, adult and senior care centers: In nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other long-term care centers, masks will still be required regardless of vaccination status.
Outdoors: There is no requirement for people to wear masks in most outdoor situations, whether vaccinated or not.
Who’s exempt from masking?
- Children younger than 2 years are exempt from wearing a mask because of the risk of suffocation.
- People with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask, including people who are unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove a mask without help.
- People with hearing impairments, or who communicate with a hearing-impaired person, when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
- People in jobs in which a mask would create a risk to a person, according to local, state or federal regulations or workplace-safety guidelines.
What about concerts, shows or events?
Wednesday also marks a return to pre-surge attendance thresholds for what the state calls “mega-events” that attract large audiences – more than 1,000 people at indoor venues, or 10,000 in outdoor spaces. For the past two months, those thresholds were dropped to 500 people indoors and 5,000 attendees outdoors.
- Indoor concerts, conferences, conventions, sports and other events with more than 1,000 attendees: Vaccine verification or verification of a negative COVID-19 antigen test within one day prior the event or within two days for a PCR test is to be required for entry. Venues are encouraged to make masks available to attendees upon request. People who are not fully vaccinated are expected to wear a mask. Self-attestation, or allowing a person to promise that they are vaccinated or have tested negative, is not permitted as a means of verification. The mega-event guidelines do not apply to places of worship.
- Outdoor concerts, festivals, parades, or sports events with more than 10,000 attendees: Vaccine verification or verification of a negative COVID-19 antigen test within one day prior to the event or within two days for a PCR test are recommended prior to entry. Self-attestation, or allowing a person to promise that they are vaccinated or have tested negative, is not recommended as a means of verification. Venues are encouraged to make masks available to attendees upon request. The mega-event guidelines do not apply to places of worship.
What kind of mask should I wear?
Cloth masks are no longer recommended because of how contagious the omicron variant has been. Instead, good-fitting surgical masks, or higher-level respirators such as N95, KN95 or KF94 masks are recommended.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 2:15 PM.
