Sonoma County lifts COVID-19 mask requirements at health care facilities

As of Monday, health care facilities in Sonoma County are able to make their own policy around masking, county health officials said.

Officials said state and county masking recommendations are tied to COVID-19 “community levels,” as determined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The COVID-19 community level for Sonoma County is currently rated as “low.”

Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer, said Sonoma County is aligning local rules with the new state guidance, which recommends health care providers, including hospitals and nursing homes, “consider” the use of mask when the COVID-19 community level is “low.”

“As of April 3, the state has lifted the mask mandate for health care settings, and Sonoma County is not implementing a masking health order,” Mase said in an email. “I still recommend that people consider wearing a mask, especially in high-risk settings such as health care facilities. Masking is one of the best tools that we have to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 and flu.”

To read more about the changes, see California Department of Public Health’s face mask guidance at bit.ly/3lZN0P8.