COVID blue LocalThe Inyo County Public Health Officer Order requiring masking for all individuals in indoor public setting will be rescinded next week and Inyo County will align with the State Guidance for use of face coverings due to a significant decrease in cases locally and statewide. The local order will end at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, February 15, 2022.

A Local (County) Health Officer Order can be more restrictive, but not less restrictive than a State Health Officer Order. For this reason, there will still masking requirements throughout Inyo County in high-risk settings as identified by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Masking Guidance for the Public: Under the State Guidance, masks are required in the following locations for ALL individuals regardless of their vaccination status:

  • Healthcare settings;
  • Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare, emergency shelters and cooling and heating centers;
  • Long Term Care Settings & Adult and Senior Care Facilities;
  • Homeless shelters;
  • State and local correctional facilities and detention centers;
  • On public transit (examples: airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares) and in transportation hubs (examples: airport, bus terminal, marina, train station, seaport or other port, subway station, or any other area that provides transportation).

Additionally, masks are required for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses. Examples include, but are not limited to: retail, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state/local government offices serving the public.

Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high. No person can be prevented from wearing a mask as a condition of participation in an activity or entry into a business.

> Surgical masks or higher-level respirators (e.g., N95s, KN95s, and KF94s) with good fit are highly recommended for all settings listed above.

Guidance for Businesses: In workplaces, employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) or in some workplaces the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard and should consult those regulations for additional applicable requirements.

No person can be prevented from wearing a mask as a condition of participation in an activity or entry into a business.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a challenge throughout California. The repeal of both the Local and State Universal Indoor Face Covering Orders does not mean that COVID-19 is no longer a risk to communities.

The COVID-19 vaccines are effective in reducing infection, serious disease, and deaths. At present, 68.7% of Inyo’s residents 12 years of age and older are fully vaccinated with an additional 10.4% partially vaccinated.

For additional information visit the COVID-19 Response and Vaccine Information webpages.

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