California has reinstated a mandatory indoor mask law.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has announced that the mandate will be in effect from Wednesday through January 15. This order comes at a time when California’s per capita coronavirus cases have risen 47% over the past two weeks.
“We know that people are hungry for normalcy and tired. “Frankly, I’m too,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of California Health and Human Services, said Monday. “This is a crucial time when we have a tool we know works and can work.
California’s statewide mandate to remove masks from people who have been vaccinated was lifted on June 15, which Newsom hailed as the state’s grand reopening. As the number of cases rose with new variants, indoor mask mandates have been imposed by county governments that cover about half of California’s population.
Although the state’s new mask mandate will apply to everyone, state officials were unsure if it would be enforced. Ghaly stated that enforcement will likely be stronger in certain places than elsewhere, but he advised Californians not to ignore the warnings and to wear masks.
Ghaly stated that “We know there’s going be people who don’t necessarily agree with this idea, who are tired and who aren’t going to hide their feelings.” “We hope those people are few and far between and that most people will see the purpose for doing this over the next month in a way that protects them and their communities in a very difficult time.
California is also tightening its testing requirements. It requires that anyone who attends indoor events with 1,000 or more people to be negative tested within one or two working days depending on the type. California is also encouraging travelers to have their blood tested within five days of arriving in California.
