SAN FRANCISCO -- Governor Gavin Newsom is set to let California's statewide mask mandate expire on February 15, but each county has or can implement a mask mandate of their own.Even though the statewide one expires, people in those counties would still be required to wear a mask if a mandate is in place. However, medical experts say there are reasons to be optimistic.
"We are in a much better place now than compared to last year," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease expert at UCSF."We have vaccines. We have boosters. We also have a high amount of population immunity."Gov. Newsom sited a 65% decrease in recent COVID-19 cases, and a stable amount of hospitalizations as reasons for his decision to not extend the mandate.
NEW: CA’s case rate has decreased by 65% since our Omicron peak. Our hospitalizations have stabilized across the state.Unvaccinated people will still need to wear masks indoors.Whether or not Bay Area counties will follow the state remains to be seen. ABC7 News reached out to all county health departments. San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties say they are evaluating their plans about keeping or dropping the mandate. We are still waiting to hear from other counties.
Psst... Unvaccinated people don't think masks work and will not follow rules they consider oppressive.
I’ll still wear a mask.
No
No one forces you to take of your mask, I wear mask because I want to, not because the government forces me to do so. Same as vaccine. So stop the mandate.