SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Sacramento County is following the steps of Yolo County by suggesting people continue to wear masks indoors.
In a press release, Sacramento County said its Public Health Officer strongly recommends vaccinated residents resume masking indoors because of the increases in COVID-19 case rates caused by the Delta variant.
“The drastic increase in cases is concerning – as is the number of people choosing not to get vaccinated,” said Sacramento County Public Health Officer Olivia Kasirye in a press release. “Our best protection against COVID-19 continues to be the vaccine. We urge all eligible residents to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves and their family and friends.”
Currently, Sacramento County has 47% of its residents fully vaccinated. People who are not vaccinated should wear masks. Officials said hot spots in the county include Rio Linda, North Highlands and Citrus Heights, which are the top three parts of the county with the lowest vaccination numbers.
“I just believe that it’s not going to go over well” said Jack Thomas, general manager of Fireside Lanes.
Thomas has worked at the Fireside Lanes bowling alley in Citrus Heights for more than 20 years now.
“Being the mask police was not any fun," he said. “It was very difficult for the employees at the time because they had to keep asking people to make sure they wear their mask, pull their mask up and while they’re bowling, it was very difficult."
He worries about the resistance he might get from customers if they were to enforce the county’s recommendation again.
“If they feel comfortable coming in and they want to wear a mask, great. If they don’t feel comfortable, then I think they should do a different activity," he said.
Most bowlers on Thursday chose not to mask up indoors.
“I feel safe and I feel comfortable; I’m not masking up," said Rosary Dinapoli, a bowler.
DiNapoli is fully vaccinated, along with only 47% of the county, but she said that she doesn’t think the community will take this seriously.
"I think it’s crazy. It’s only been a month, and now, they’re telling us to go back and mask up again," she said.
But others, like Ronald Reynolds are willing to do their part after hearing the numbers.
“You know, I’ve worn it for so long (that) it really wouldn’t bother me at all. You know we wore it for almost a year, so to wear it a little longer, that’d be fine," Reynolds said.
Sacramento County is now averaging an additional 164 new cases a day. The last time the county had that many was back in April.
Most of the positive cases they’re seeing is with those who are still not vaccinated, but county-wide, they’ve had 262 symptomatic breakthrough cases with those who are vaccinated, 10 of which are the Delta variant.
A day before Sacramento County's announcement, Yolo County also suggested to its vaccinated residents to mask up as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 Delta variant.
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