California Says Wear Masks Indoors Again, Even If Vaccinated

Image: Stylisms at Stylisms.com/masks

Here we go again. The California Department of Public Health just released a 12 Noon Wednesday update recommending that everyone wear masks indoors again — even  if you are fully vaccinated.

JUST IN: In major change, California recommends everyone wear masks indoors again https://t.co/IXqbqXU38h

— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) July 28, 2021

“To achieve universal masking in indoor public settings, we are recommending that fully vaccinated people also mask in indoor public settings across California,” the state DPH said Wednesday. “This adds an extra precautionary measure for all to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, especially in communities currently seeing the highest transmission rates. Local health jurisdictions may be more restrictive than this guidance.”

It’s not mandatory, it’s merely a recommendation. But businesses can still make masks mandatory on their premises, and we hope they all do.

Mask available at Broke-Ass Stuart Shop

This comes after Tuesday’s updated CDC guidance recommending vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with “substantial” or “high” rates of COVID-19 transmission. And about 96% of the state of California lives in areas that currently do have high rates of COVID-19 transmission.

CDC recommends masks for all in areas with high transmissibility. The list includes 45 of California’s 58 counties combining for roughly 96% of the state’s 39.5 million residents https://t.co/GBtDggvgNl

— Lara Korte (@lara_korte) July 27, 2021

“The delta variant has caused a sharp increase in hospitalizations and case rates across the state,” California public health office Dr. Tomás Aragón said in a statement to the Chronicle. “We are recommending masking in indoor public places to slow the spread while we continue efforts to get more Californians vaccinated.”

it's so weird that people have no idea wtf to do https://t.co/1X4uWGFrOf

— katie rosman (@katierosman) July 27, 2021

People are complaining that the CDC and California DPH “backtracks” or “changes their minds,” but that is a bullshit criticism. The CDC and California DPH are adapting to changing circumstances, and the Delta variant is throwing them unexpected curveballs. Public health officials are not mishandling this, it’s elements of the general public that are mishandling the situation. Thanks to maskholes, we’ll be wearing masks a whole lot longer.