'Wear Your Mask Until June 15': Marin County Health Officer

MARIN COUNTY, CA – The Association of Bay Area Health Officials, representing Marin County and 11 other Bay Area health officers and their local health jurisdictions, said Wednesday it strongly supports the California Department of Public Health’s strategy to continue with current masking guidance until June 15, when the state will align with the updated guidance from the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

California's current regulations call for everyone, even those who are vaccinated, to wear a mask when indoors at public places, except when eating or drinking; at all times on public transportation; and at crowded places, indoor or outdoor, such as concerts, parades, sporting events and fairs.

Under the CDC's newest guidance, which was released Sunday, those who are fully vaccinated can resume activities they did prior to the pandemic without wearing a mask or physically distancing except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

"The CDC’s updated masking guidance is grounded in evidence showing that vaccines are extremely effective in protecting vaccinated people from infection, severe illness, and death, and preventing them from spreading COVID-19 to others," health officers from the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and the City of Berkeley said Wednesday morning in a news release.

"Additionally, increasing vaccination in our communities helps mitigate the spread of new variants that are more likely to infect those who are unvaccinated. This helps protect people who cannot yet get vaccinated, such as children younger than 12, as well as people who may not get full benefit from the vaccine, such as people with weakened immune systems."

Here are the current state of California masking guidelines supported by the Association of Bay Area Health Officials:

With nearly half of California’s population over age 16 fully vaccinated, and nearly 65 percent having received at least one dose of vaccine, the health officers said great progress has been made across the state in vaccinating eligible residents against the coronavirus.

The days between now and June 15 are critical for reaching residents who are still unvaccinated, not yet fully vaccinated, or are not eligible to be vaccinated, and for businesses and other entities who need the time to prepare for implementation of the CDC's updated masking guidance, the association said.

The best way for residents to protect themselves is to get vaccinated, the health officers said. A person is fully protected two weeks after they complete their vaccine series, which is a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

"Thanks to so many in our community who have gotten vaccinated, we have come a long way and can finally start to see a return to normalcy in our area," the health officers said. "This next month is our chance to further increase vaccination rates. Wear your mask now, so we can get to June 15 together."

View the complete masking guidelines for vaccinated and unvaccinated Californians here.