Roxana Kopetman is a staff writer at The Orange County Register. As Los Angeles County faces a very likely indoor mask mandate toward the end of July, many may be wondering where that leaves Orange County and its plans as COVID cases tick up. When in reality we dont.. Driver rescued after car plunges more than 500 feet off NorCal cliff, Authorities continue search for Texas man suspected of killing 5, Lakers, LeBron James to play Warriors, Steph Curry in NBA showdown. 5:40 pm. California to end COVID mask requirement, vaccine mandate for health While Buck enforced the mask mandate at their meetings, Placentia-Yorba Linda school board members Leandra Blades and Shawn Youngblood, have criticized the mask enforcement in their own district classrooms as inconsistent.An attempt earlier this month by Blades to get the board to approve a resolution against removing kids from classrooms failed. Masks will be required for all indoor activities, except when eating or drinking, Physically distancing for individuals of at least 3-feet will be strongly encouraged, Phase 3 will begin when70% of the population in the county 16 and older receives their1st dose and/or the county's 14-day rolling positivity rate drops to 5% or below, CDC: Fully vaccinated Americans can do some outdoor activities without mask, 50th anniversary changes: EPCOT Monorail archway gets repainted, 2 high schoolers killed, 4 others hurt in shooting at house party in Mississippi, Police: Shooter fires into crowd of juveniles at Dezerland parking lot; 3 hurt, Soldiers killed in Alaska helicopter crash identified by US Army, Florida nursing assistant spent $7K on cosmetic surgeries using patients identity: affidavit, House partially collapses in early morning fire in Orange County, officials say, 8 fun things to do in Central Florida for $20 or less, Here are the top restaurants of Central Florida in 2023, 5 secret bars worth finding in Central Florida, Caught on Camera: Apopka motor sales business targeted by thieves for 9th time, owners say, Van used to transport elderly stolen in Volusia County. With COVID cases rising, will California resume mask rules? - Los County Health Officer Though Greg Franklin, superintendent of the Tustin Unified School District, agreed that the state created confusion among a lot of people, he doesnt view the current mask rules as dramatically different from last year. Here's what the end of COVID -19 emergency means in San Francisco. lawmakers champion bills raising penalties for fentanyl dealers and accountability from online platforms, Mallard, shot in neck and cheek, gets second chance at life, Boats set sail from Balboa Pier to Ensenada for 75th annual race. But how well OC dealt with the mask mandate is unclear with county public health officials largely taking a hands off approach to enforcement. SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Orange County health experts are once again keeping a close eye on COVID-19 cases as the county moves to "high" community transmission. Ventura and Orange counties also moved into the "high" level this week based on elevated rates of people being infected with the virus. We're not seeing that," said Jose Arballo, public information officer for the Riverside County Department of Health. For the PDF English version, click here. '', "People keep saying it's not as deadly anymore,'' Noymer said. (714) 966-4617. The new mask mandate will cover everyone else, but state officials on Monday were unclear about how it would be enforced. At a Monday news conference, Secretary of the state Health and Human Services department, Dr. Mark Ghaly said they wont change the mask mandate at schools just yet but they will reassess data at the end of the month on whether to lift the requirement. For now, it looks like kids who show up without masks wont be allowed to sit in classes with kids who are wearing them. Gallegos, a pre-school teacher at Magnolia School District, said shes looking forward to children her own and her students returning to campus. CDC Updates Mask Mandates For Orange County, Will Disney Comply? The mandate was expected to end on Jan. 15 but when case counts skyrocketed, state officials extended the mandate to Feb. 15. The government should not be parenting, said McKeeman, a mother of three students in the Carlsbad Unified School District in San Diego County. The mask mandate in Cumberland County ended Sunday night. Gavin Newsom is taking actions that go far beyond what any other governor or any other state has done., California joins other states with similar indoor mask mandates, including Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Hawaii and New York. The California Health and Safety Code sections 101030 and 101470 require the County Health Officer to enforce and observe in the unincorporated territory of the county and within the city boundaries located within a county all of the following: (a) Orders and ordinances of the Board of Supervisors, pertaining to the public health and sanitary matters; (b) Orders, including quarantine and other regulations, prescribed by the department; and (c) Statutes relating to public health. California's existing indoor mask mandate will remain in place through Feb. 15 as previously scheduled, officials said. Join ourFacebook discussion. That mirrors Californias mandate. The county has 22% of its ICU beds available and 69% of its ventilators. Persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines. Its harming (childrens) mental health, their academic progress and their social development. 2021. according to the states public health department, passed a resolution in support of children going maskless, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG), Jalopy Eirasqiom, left, allows Jacqueline Gabriel, right, to adjust his cap before the Valencia High School graduation ceremonies which occurred at Bradford Stadium in Placentia, California on Thursday, June 17, 2021. SAN FRANCISCO -- California's COVID masking rules are changing according to new information from the state's department of public health. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. SAPD helps prepare prospective recruits for physical agility exams, Casa Romantica Red-Tagged + First SurfSCAPE Expo + Taste Of Orange, Casa Romantica Slide + Dumpster Diving For Suspects + Lucky Lottery, FREE WEBINAR | "Italian Renaissance Masterpieces in London", Cinco for a Cause Margarita Fundraiser for McKenna Claire Foundation at Dos Amigos Cantina, Catalina Museum Cinco de Mayo Celebration 2023: Avalon, Garden Club Gate & Garden Tour 2023: Laguna Beach, Annual Rancho Days Fiesta 2023: Heritage Hill Historical Park, Lake Forest, Big SoCal Cooldown + Rain Coming + Missing Plane Found: SoCal In Brief, See 5 New Houses On The Market In And Around The Orange County Area, Duck Family | Beach Buddies | Drone's View Of Lake: CA In Photos, Indoor public spaces (until Feb. 15, 2022), Healthcare settings (including long term care facilities), Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare and other youth settings, State and local correctional facilities and detention centers, Homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers. Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, who ran against Newsom for governor during a an unsuccessful recall election earlier this year, has routinely tried and failed to get the Democratic-dominated Legislature to end the states emergency declaration. If any portion of this document or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of the document, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected and shall continue in full force and effect. [Read: Orange County Mixed on Enforcing Gov. For more information about COVID-19 in O.C., visit: occovid19.ochealthinfo.com. Here's What We Know So Far, Teen Accused of Killing Woman With Rock Took Photo as Memento', Prosecutors Say. ORANGE COUNTY, CA California will lift its statewide mask mandate for indoor public places next week, health officials reported. In California, the answer to the mask mandate debate might happen in court. CHIEF OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, MATTHEW ZAHN, MD A list of conditions that increase peoples risk for severe COVID-19 disease can be found here: PerCDPH masking guidance, infected persons should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings. The Orange County Board of Education has also tried to sue the state over the school mask mandate, but their petition was denied by the California Supreme Court around a week after it was filed. We're in a wave of COVID. Orange County residents must continue wearing masks for indoor public places for an additional month following a state-issued extension as hospitals bear the brunt of a winter surge in coronavirus cases. The first mask mandate in OC went into effect in 2020 issued by former county health officer Nichole Quick which faced immediate backlash, with people protesting outside her house and Quick even receiving a death threat. VIDEO: Orange County mayor announces changes to social distancing guidelines, timeline for phasing out mask mandate By Q McCray, WFTV.com and Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com April 28, 2021 at 11:47 am EDT Five of the fatalities logged Monday occurred in November, raising that month's death toll to 85. "We support the States latest measures intended to bring additional protection to us all and our loved ones. "We certainly have seen an increase in cases, but with two+ years into the pandemic, we have more preventive measures to take now that we didnt have in the past. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a mask could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance. After that date, Orange County residents vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer have to wear masks in indoor or outdoor settings, unless specified by local city or county officials. Mayor Demings says he believes these . Gov. Those areas include health care, long-term care, and correctional facilities as well as homeless, emergency and warming and cooling centers. On February 26, 2020, the County of Orange Health Officer and the Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors declared a Local Health Emergency and Local Emergency, respectively, based on an imminent and proximate threat to public health from the introduction of COVID-19 in Orange County. August 19, 2021. That doesnt mean we arent concerned, and we continue to strongly recommend that people mask when attending indoor gatherings, as we know they are a very effective means to prevent the spread," said Dr. Matt Zahn, M.D., Deputy Health Director, Medical Director of Communicable Disease Control Division. We know people are tired and hungry for normalcy. Orange County's Indoor Mask Mandate: Is it Coming Back? - NBC Los Angeles The county reported 28 more COVID-19-related deaths since Friday, with 24 of them occurring in January. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. Chinsio-Kwong, the countys deputy health officer, said that its important that masks are worn at schools, noting that kids 5-11 years old are the least vaccinated group eligible for a shot.As of January 31, for ages five to 11, only 33% of that population received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, she said during last Wednesdays news briefing. Please help us get more people vaccinated. Jared Polis of Colorado who told Colorado Public Radio last week that The emergency is over and public health (officials) dont get to tell people what to wear.. The incoming third-grader with the heart condition was allowed to forego the mask last spring, but school officials insisted he wear a face shield, Schubert said. CA Mask Mandate Ending Soon In Laguna Beach, Orange County California to end mask, vaccine rules for healthcare workers - Los But later in the day, the agency issued a second statement that kept the mandate in place and gave individual districts leeway on how to enforce it but removed the words must exclude from its guideline. We still dont know. Instead, they held their meeting last week outdoors. This article originally appeared on the Orange County Patch, Search for self managed wealth investment accounts, are exempt from wearing masks at all times. Mask wearing is not required outdoors, Chau says. Frankly, I am too, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Monday. "We're hoping we can avert that, but it does require everyone to be more cautious and to wear a mask indoors," Chinsio-Kwong said. RELATED: Here's what the end of COVID -19 emergency means in San Francisco. The messaging around masks was one of the original sins of the pandemic, like we didnt do a good job of explaining their benefits and its just been muddled ever since, Noymer said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. Mask mandate chnages in Orange County - wesh.com I really ask everyone in Orange County to be a little more careful than theyve been moving forward for the next month or two to limit how fast this spreads.. For those at the highest risk, there antiviral treatments available to prevent serious illness.". The vast majority of admissions are unvaccinated. The new statewide masking measure brings an added layer of protection against the fast-spreading Delta and Omicron variants of coronavirus.