Starting Monday, everyone will be required to wear masks in San Mateo County facilities, even if vaccinated, due to a rise in coronavirus cases, including the fast-spreading Delta variant, the County announced Thursday.
The decision follows recent guidance by Bay Area health officers recommending that everyone wear face covering indoors.
San Mateo County offices, clinics and other publicly accessible facilities will require masking.
While vaccines are highly effective against COVID-19, County officials said action must be taken to protect children too young to receive the vaccine and others who are vulnerable.
“The increasing case numbers are a harsh reminder that we are not done with COVID and COVID is not done with us,” County Manager Mike Callagy said in a statement in which he urged unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated.
San Mateo County’s seven-day average of positive cases per 100,000 has risen from 1.3 in mid-June to 5.2 by latest count, officials said. On June 15, when the state reopened, San Mateo County Heath reported 13 new COVID-19 cases in the County. On July 15, there were 74.
“A week ago, July 14, there were four people hospitalized with COVID-19,” the County said. “There are now 15 people with COVID-19 in the hospital and six of those are in the intensive care unit.”
