YOLO COUNTY, Calif. — As California struggles to rein in the COVID-19 Delta variant, Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson issued an indoor masking mandate on a Tuesday Board of Supervisors meeting.
"The mask mandate is the least disruptive and the masking mandate has no economical effect on the local economy and will allow businesses to stay open. It will have the most immediate impact on Yolo County residents," Dr. Sisson said at the board meeting.
The masking order issued Tuesday goes into effect on Friday, July 30. This comes on the same day the CDC changes course on indoor masking which now recommends that fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors where the Delta variant is growing.
The new order is set to remain in effect until the case rate falls below 2.0 per 100,000 residents for 7 consecutive days, according to a press release from the county.
People under the age of two and people with medical conditions and disabilities are exempt from wearing a mask indoors.
"Putting on a mask is a simple act that will help keep business open and protect residents from the highly contagious Delta variant,” said Dr. Sisson.
Yolo County remains at a 52% vaccination rate. Board Supervisor Don Saylor said he's angry that his county lags behind in vaccination rates.
Back in 2020, Yolo County was among the first counties to issue a mask mandate before the state issued its own that year.
Business owners who spoke with ABC10 did not seem phased by the mandate.
"I believe in adhering to all the rules," explained Jerry Paiz, co-owner of Style Lounge Salon in Davis. "If it’s mandated, we’re gonna do it."
Paiz said he trusted in public health officials' decisions and after contracting the coronavirus in December and suffering from lingering side effects, he did not want others going through what he endured.
"You do not want to get COVID," he said. "I went to the ICU and I almost died."
A Woodland barber explained that as long as he did not have to shut down his business again, he was OK with the mandate.
"We can operate that way," explained Christian Contreras, a partner at Your Style Hair Salon. "I’m willing to adjust to the rules to keep everyone safe."
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