Fresno County residents issued new guidelines on wearing masks in public indoor settings

Exactly one month after Fresno and the rest of California reopened with loosened COVID-19 restrictions, health officials around the state are grappling with the latest spread of the more highly contagious Delta variant.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health on Thursday strongly recommended that all residents wear face coverings again when in public indoor settings, and said unvaccinated people are required to wear masks when inside.

The mandate comes after 22 cases of the Delta variant were reported in Fresno County.

Health officials have said the Delta variant is more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19 and causes more severe illness. And a rise in case rates could lead to an increase in hospitalizations and death rates.

“The rapid spread of the Delta variant is concerning,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim health officer. “Actual numbers are estimated to be 10 times the reported number because of low testing rates in Fresno County.”

Fresno County’s strong recommendation, or mandate, to wear masks indoors might seem like a step backward in the pandemic, but it’s becoming commonplace elsewhere in the state.

In Los Angeles County, health officials said that starting Saturday night, residents again will be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces — regardless of their vaccination status. In Sacramento County, the health department began recommending that all residents wear masks in most public indoor settings to curb the spread of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, because of a drastic rise in local cases attributed to the Delta variant.

Fresno County official Joe Prado said the variant is spreading fastest in areas with low vaccination rates.

“Vaccines provide excellent protection against the Delta variant and other COVID-19 strains,” Prado said. “We want residents to protect themselves and their families. Help us slow the spread and get vaccinated today.”

COVID-19 vaccines are effective against all variants, health officials have said, and they are considered the best defense at preventing severe disease and death.

Getting vaccinated also is the best way to help prevent the spread of the virus to people who cannot get the vaccine, such as young children and those with compromised immune systems.

“Because of the small but real risk for breakthrough infections, anyone with symptoms should be tested for COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status,” Vohra said.

This story was originally published July 15, 2021 at 7:39 PM.