Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s secretary of health and human services, announced Monday that, starting Wednesday , all Californians must resume face coverings in public indoor locations regardless of whether or not they are vaccinated.
It’s a big change to the state’s masking policy, which was loosened on July 28, allowing those who are fully vaccinated to venture indoors without covering up in most locations though transit hubs, K-12 schools and health care settings have never relaxed.
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Ghaly said that the guideline, which is set to run through Jan. 15, is not intended to govern private gatherings in residents’ homes but rather in public venues such as businesses and entertainment locations.
He said concern over a statewide coronavirus case rate that has increased from 9.6 cases per 100,000 to more than 14 since Thanksgiving prompted the move.
“This is a critical time where we have a tool that we know has worked and we are proactively putting this tool of universal indoor masking in public settings to ensure we get through a time of joy and hope without a darker cloud of concern and despair,” Ghaly said. “Californians have done this before, and of course we believe we can do it again.”
In addition, the executive said the state will also require anyone attending a “mega event” with more than 1,000 attendees who does not show proof of vaccination to show a negative COVID-19 test taken in the previous 24 hours if it’s a rapid antigen test or two days if it’s a PCR test. The previous requirement was that negative results be dated in the 72 hours previous to the event date.
“Given the breadth and availability of tests, the fact that turnaround times are speedier than they were in the past, this seems appropriate,”Ghaly said.
A third recommendation is for those returning to or visiting California to have a coronavirus test within three to five days of arrival.
This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.
©2021 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Democrat run governments mask up for COVID like the Dalton gang right before a stage or train robbery. Just more stolen goods that Bezo can get sold on Amazon whose profits fund the Democrat Demon party in campaign donations, and free shipping on the taxpayer supported Postal Service. Very creative these Leftist demons in creating new ways to redistribute honest American money and turn it into dishonest empowered political dirty hands. The true reason for most of the California masking is t keep the criminals, Street or Political ,from being identified and later found out and punished. When you or your party cannot create welath to fund itself, it must of necessity steal it by any creative means necessary or perish.
PITY we can’t mask up EVERY ONE OF THESE commucrats, with a PERMANENT, AIR TIGHT, Cement mask!
“This is a critical time where we have a tool that we know has worked and we are proactively putting this tool of universal indoor masking in public settings to ensure we get through a time of joy and hope without a darker cloud of concern and despair,” Ghaly said. “Californians have done this before, and of course we believe we can do it again.”
A time of joy and hope. With more COVID regulations?
A time of joy and hope. When the state goes Republican.
WE hoped it wold go republican during newsome’s recall.. BUT WE WERE PROVEN wrong.
THE COMMUCRAT hold on that state is just getting BIGGER and bigger.. AND MOST of those who ARE republicans, are fleeing elsewhere…
So I doubt it will EVER GO back to being repubilcan!
Well, Mr. Governor… If you want ME to “mask up”, you’ll have to send your gestapo to wrestle me to the ground, and glue or staple your damn WORTHLESS mask to my face!
WITH how gestapo like the cops are out there, i WOULDN’T put it past them, to Tackle folks to the ground, and FORC MASKS on you..
I feel sorry for all the conservatives living in Commiefornia.. you know the group of people that work… but… your not held hostage there… just get the hell out of Dodge and let it implode.
I have a solution to this problem. Start a referendum to put a law on the books that puts any politician living in a state w a vaccines mandate that is caught without a mask in jail immediately. No more “rules for the but not for me.” Even better, let’s enforce the Federal government’s oath to uphold the Constitution. When the President says he doesn’t care that something is not Constitutional and he is doing it anyway, that’s treason, not “upholding”. Throw them out! And don’t forget the squad. They should be in jail too. In Iran.
IT matters not, WHAT LAWS ARE wrote.. IF NO ONE has the balls to enforce them!