ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Unlike nearby counties such as Sacramento and Yolo, Placer County hasn't had an indoor mask mandate since June when Gov. Gavin Newsom reopened the state.
Now that a month-long mask mandate is in effect, people in Placer County will be required to wear a mask indoors.
However, Robert Weygandt, District 2 supervisor for Placer County and this year's chair for the Board of Supervisors, said that mandates are not the way the county has approached coronavirus.
"My philosophy, and I think that of the county, has been to do everything we can in public health at the county to educate people and make excellent health care available to them, including vaccinations. Personally, our public health director and I also agree that we should encourage vaccinations," Weygandt said. "But I do not support the mandates at all — and it's reflective, I think, of a completely different philosophical approach to all of this."
California exempted San Francisco from the mask mandate. The city health department says San Francisco will continue to allow fully vaccinated people to remove their masks in gyms and workplaces.
San Francisco has a high vaccination rate — nearly 90% of eligible residents have received at least one dose. About 83% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated, according to the COVID-19 dashboard.
Weygandt said it's important to be respectful of places that require masks to enter their buildings, but he understands why people may be frustrated because San Francisco is a densely populated city.
"I think then they should just be reasonable and use common sense and be courteous and considerate, generally speaking, but I certainly understand why people would be resistant to wanting to wear any mask indoors, whether or not it makes any sense. Particularly when the city of San Francisco has a complete exemption."
In Placer County, 61.7% of residents are fully vaccinated, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. Statewide, nearly 70% of Californians are fully vaccinated, according to the state dashboard.
RELATED: 'We don't want to be the mask police' | Despite rising case rates, no mask mandate in Placer County
Weygandt said that the shifting messaging around COVID-19 and masking recommendations has been difficult for the county.
"Counties who have public health responsibilities should be allowed to craft their own policies to fit their own conditions that are better local," Weygandt said. "Our conditions are not the same as those in San Francisco or Los Angeles, and we would have been far better off had we been able to set our own policies because we had to put in place county policies that also compensated for the COVID management mandates."
Weygandt said that the county board of supervisors and the sheriff have established in the past they will not use county resources to enforce state mandates, and he sees that continuing for this month-long mandate.
"There are people who want more protection so they wear a mask and or they stay home. I believe some people will simply defy the order probably at a higher proportion than has happened before," Weygandt said. "If I go to a store for example, and they have a sign up that says 'we're requesting you to wear a mask' — typically they'll say that in Placer County in order to comply with the governor's order. Then I respect that because it's their business and I'm on their turf."
Weygandt said if case rates change, then the county will adapt its approach to fit the conditions in conjunction with state policies.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more on ABC10: How to catch Rocklin's 28th annual 'Sea of holiday lights' tradition this Christmas