LA County Mandates More Masks

Under Cal/OSHA’s revised June 17, 2021 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), vaccinated employees only had to wear face coverings indoors for certain outbreaks or in other settings, i.e., public transit, K-12 educational facilities, health care and long-term care facilities, or correctional and detention facilities and shelters.

However, after the subsequent rise in Delta-variant cases, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department revised its public health order on July 16 and July 22, 2021 to require face masks to be worn by all, regardless of vaccination status, while inside public settings and businesses.  All such locations/businesses must also post clearly visible and easy to read signage to communicate these requirements.

The county’s public health order expressly overrides the more permissive ETS masking regulations and directs that exempt employees (such as those who cannot feasibly wear a mask while performing their work) must be tested for COVID-19 at least twice per week unless they provide proof of full vaccination or of recovery from laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within the past 90 days.

LA County concurrently updated its face mask publication, which includes:

• How wearing a mask can slow the viral spread;
• When and what type of mask to wear (including cloth, surgical, N95 and KN95);
• How to wear a mask properly; and
• Special considerations for persons with communication difficulties or certain disabilities

San Mateo County has a similar masked mandate in all county-operated facilities.

Several other counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Ventura) as well as the City of Berkeley are strongly recommending all individuals wear face masks in all indoor facilities.

On July 27, 2021, the CDC recommended fully vaccinated people wear a mask indoors in areas of substantial or high transmission, and on July 28, 2021, the California Department of Public Health added a new recommendation for universal masking indoors statewide.

Takeaway:
At a minimum, employers should revise or issue a temporary modification to their written COVID-19 prevention programs to comply with any applicable face mask mandates.

For more information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

See also:

• Easy Does It – Take Two (July 15, 2021)
• Easy Does It (June 25, 2021)
• Keep It To Yourself (April 16, 2020)
• What’s New In 2021– Infection Prevention Direction CAL/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (February 5, 2021)

Cindy Bamforth
July 29, 2021