California faces another month before unmasking begins

Sacramento, California-California officials say the state is not ready to remove the mask for at least another month, following federal leadership.

Status health The director announced on Monday that California would require people to continue to wear masks and practice indoor social distance until June 15.

The country’s most populous state joins many other states, more by the time fully vaccinated people can fly face covers and distances in virtually all situations. I need time.

People and businesses must adapt to change while the state “is constantly focused on providing vaccines, especially in poorly serviced communities and those that have been hit hard throughout this pandemic.” It will not be.

More than 12 other states, including neighboring Oregon, are already paying attention to the relaxation of the Mask Guidelines released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week. The CDC guidelines state that everyone should wear a mask in crowded indoor areas such as planes, buses, hospitals, and prisons, whether or not they are fully vaccinated.

The changing ground of mask-wearing advice has only a few weeks ago told some Californians that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors unless they are in a crowded rally. It was confusing and frustrating.

Rafael Sanchez, 64, of San Diego called it the “scrambled eggs message.” Retirees are completely vaccinated and have to go there at their favorite bagel shop or bus, so they just wear a mask, he said.

Most of California’s 58 counties, including the giant Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego, pay attention to state masking schedules.

Los Angeles County overseer Hilda Solis said the county will spend extra months to fully vaccinate more people.

“More than half of our adult population is still vulnerable,” she said.

Keith Shapiro, a 45-year-old film editor vaccinated in Los Angeles, said he was walking outside without worrying about his dog Dexter, but with the mask in his hands indoors. Told.

“When I go to the grocery store, I feel I need to wear a mask, whether I really need it or not,” he said. “I don’t feel it is that restrictive.”

His 12-year-old son received his shot on Monday, but wears a mask directly to school twice a week.

Both the CDC and the state plan to maintain mask requirements for students for the rest of the calendar year.

San Francisco psychotherapist Satchita Melina agrees to the state’s indoor mask decision, despite “I can’t wait to go to the gym, yoga or dance classes” without covering her face. Stated.

“If it’s going to protect people and it’s for safety, what’s the other month at this point?” She said.

The California Nurses Association said the state was cautious, noting that more than 61,000 residents died from COVID-10 and hundreds of nurses died nationwide.

“We must save the lives of patients, nurses and other medical and essential workers across the country,” CNA President Sandy Reading said in a statement. “The best way to do that is to use multiple layers of protection, including masking, social distance, and post-exposure isolation.”

Companies are expected to adhere to state guidelines, according to Garry, but leaders of some trade associations fear that differences in federal and state mask requirements can be confusing.

John Cabatech, director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses’ California branch, said it was already difficult for business owners to play “mask police officers.”

“They are trying to understand this labyrinth and hope they are not vulnerable to penalties and scrutiny by state regulators and plaintiffs’ lawyers,” he said.

However, Mr. Cavatec said he generally supported the state’s decision.

“If wearing a mask a little longer is an ounce of prevention that allows moms and pops to reopen the door and get people back to work, that’s a step in the right direction,” he says. I did.

San Diego hair stylist Emily Forweiler, 27, was relieved that she would need a longer mask indoors.

“I think people should still wear it and don’t have to rely on the honor system. I don’t know how else I can tell if someone is fully vaccinated.”

After becoming the epicenter of the virus in the United States earlier this year, California experienced a sharp decline. According to officials, the state’s positive infection rate for the people tested was below 1%, and more than 34.5 million vaccines were given as the state approached a full economic resumption.

Newsom, like the Biden administration, is under pressure to ease mask restrictions as cases of coronavirus are declining nationwide. However, the Democratic governor is facing a call election this fall, largely due to frustration in dealing with the pandemic.

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Fallconner, businessman John Cox and reality show personality, former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, and all Republicans seeking to replace Newsom have criticized the delay in removing the mask requirement.

Forty-seven counties, which make up the majority of the state’s population, are in the orange and yellow layers of California’s COVID-19 system and are the least restricted. Orange County may move to the yellow layer on Wednesday. This will increase customer capacity for gyms and other businesses and allow the bar to reopen indoors.

Eleven counties remain in the second highest red layer, which is considered to be at fairly high risk for COVID-19, but only about 11% of the population.

The hierarchy is based on case, positive rate, and vaccination numbers. Newsom has announced that California will discontinue the system in mid-June.

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Associated Press writers Christopher Weber and Stephanie Dagio contributed from Los Angeles, and Julie Watson contributed from San Diego.