The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released
updated guidance for the use of face masks that will take
effect on September 23, 2022. For the general public, the updated
guidance shifts the current strong recommendation of the use of
face masks in indoor settings to align with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)
COVID-19 Community Levels masking recommendations. The
guidance also aligns use of face masks in correctional
facilities, homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and cooling
centers with
current CDC recommendations, making masking optional when CDC
community levels are low.
CDC COVID-19 Community Levels are separated by county and based
on hospitalization rates, hospital bed occupancy, and COVID-19
case rates. Recommended actions for the all three community
levels (low, medium, and high) are included in the updated
guidance, and county community level status can be searched
through the COVID-19 County Check search bar on the
CDC’s website. Masking requirements remain in place for all
individuals, regardless of vaccination status, in all healthcare
settings, long-term care settings, and adult and senior care
facilities.
Despite what level a community may be in, CDPH states that masks
that offer the best fit
and filtration (e.g., N95s, KN95s, KF94s), are highly
recommended, and remain a critical component of the state’s
multi-layered approach for protection against COVID-19 infection.
Further, CDPH is maintaining the requirement that businesses and
venue operators, including K-12 school and childcare settings,
must allow any individual to wear a mask if they desire to.
Finally, local health jurisdictions and entities may continue to
implement additional requirements that go beyond this statewide
guidance based on local circumstances.
