STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. — Stanislaus County is reinstating its indoor mask mandate as coronavirus infections continue to surge upward. The order goes into effect on Saturday, Sept. 4.
The order applies to everyone in the county regardless of vaccination status, according to the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency. Health officials say it is the “least disruptive and most immediately impactful” step to try to curb COVID infections.
“This Order requiring all individuals to wear face coverings is necessary to control and reduce the rate of community spread, support our healthcare system, and to reinforce the need for safe interactions,” health officials said in a press release.
Since June 15 – the day most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in California – the average daily infection rate in Stanislaus County has increased nine-fold and testing positivity is up four-fold, county officials said. Hospitalizations are also up in the county, from 38 patients on July 15 to 299 patients as of Sept. 1.
“With the rapid increase in cases and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant, it has become necessary to elevate the indoor mask recommendation to a requirement. The order requires all people to wear face coverings when indoors in workplaces and public settings, with limited exemptions, and recommends that businesses make face coverings available to individuals entering their businesses,” health officials wrote.
The order is open-ended. Health officials say they will continue to monitor the situation in the county and may modify the order, or issue additional orders, depending on the circumstances.