July 30, 2021 Sacramento County Health Order
The Sacramento County Health Office issued a Health Order that is effective July 30, 2021, at 12:01 a.m., and will continue to be in effect until rescinded or amended. The Order reflects the CDPH Guidance for Face Coverings and directs that face coverings are to be worn, regardless of vaccination status, in all Sacramento County indoor public settings, venues, gatherings, and workplaces, such as, but not limited to: offices, retail stores, restaurants and bars, theaters, family entertainment centers, conference centers, and State and local government offices serving the public. Read the July 30, 2021 Sacramento County Health Order for details.
New CDPH Face Coverings Guidance, July 28, 2021
About 15 percent of the population do not have the option for vaccination and the more contagious Delta variant develops more severe symptoms. As a result, CDPH recommends universal masking indoors statewide. Until we reach immunity through vaccination, the COVID-19 infection risk will remain. View the July 28, 2021 CDPH Guidance for Face Coverings.
Sacramento County Public Health Forum on COVID-19, Thursday, August 19
Public Health has its next COVID-19 Community Conversation with Dr. Kasirye and Dr. Cohen this Thursday, 8/19 from 6-7:30PM. We understand that many community members may have questions around the variants, vaccine and testing. This would be a great opportunity for community members to connect directly with our Public Health Leadership. Community members can register for the online forum: https://bit.ly/31AMaL0. This event will have American Sign Language (ASL), Chinese, Hmong, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese Interpretation. NOTE: If you had previously registered you will need to re-register to get Zoom notifications and reminders about this event.
July 15 SacCountyNews Story: SacCounty Public Health Recommends Masking
Due to the recent day-over-day case rate increases of COVID-19 from the highly infectious Delta variant, the Sacramento County Public Health Officer strongly recommends masking indoors. In less than a month, Sacramento’s daily case rate has risen drastically, from 3.8 on June 20 to 10 on July 14. While cases continue to surge and until vaccination rates have increased in Sacramento County, vaccinated residents are strongly recommended to wear masks in indoor settings where vaccination verification is not required and the vaccination status of others is unknown. Read the SacCountyNews story for details.
State Provides a Portal to Access Your Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record - You can safely access your digital vaccine record for free at MyVaccineRecord.CDPH.CA.GOV by entering your name, DOB, and phone/email associated with your vaccine record. Then create a four-digit PIN that generates a special QR code so you decide how and when to share your vaccination record. This is an optional means to obtain your COVID-19 vaccine information, and is the digital version of your paper vaccine card. It is one of the options to show proof of vaccination - the QR code will work with specific types of QR readers. However, the State is not implementing a mandatory passport system in California. Learn more and access your digital vaccine record by going to https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/
June 17 Cal/OSHA Decision: Workplace Mask Requirements for Vaccinated Lifted
New workplace rules may be implemented immediately. Physical distancing measures and use of partitions is a choice, but unvaccinated workers are to wear a mask around others when indoors or in vehicles. Along with their safety benefits, N95 masks, or similar respirators, must be available for voluntary use by unvaccinated employees. To implement the eased requirements, employers will need to have a process to keep a record of employees who self-attest to having the COVID-19 vaccine and have a supply of respirators available. If a "major" outbreak occurs with 20 or more employees working together within a month, employers must provide respirators to all exposed workers, or again implement physical distancing requirements (flexible work schedules, 6 ft. separation, partitions, etc.) - an outbreak of three to nineteen, the employer may choose the preceding measures to control spread. Learn more about Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Guidance and check out the State’s Safer at Work website.
California is Open. What Does This Mean?
CDPH has created four new fact sheets to help Californians understand what the state's June 15 reopening means.
Reopening the California Economy
With decreasing COVID-19 transmission rates and increasing vaccination rates, California has fully reopened its economy. This means no more physical distancing, no capacity limits, no county tiers, and relaxed mask guidance. Find out more on the State's website: https://covid19.ca.gov/safely-reopening/
Vaccinated and Traveling?
Antigen Testing – Rapid Results in 15 Minutes
Our 13 COVID-19 Community Testing Sites are adding antigen rapid testing options (results in 15 minutes) for those who need immediate results starting Monday, June 14, in additional to the traditional PCR testing currently offered. Patients may follow-up a positive antigen result with a PCR test to ensure accuracy in the same visit (PCR results are within 3 days). The antigen test is not as sensitive as the PCR test. Antigen testing will not suffice for air travel or when a PCR test is required to get into an events. However, it is a great option for those who are unvaccinated and must have regular testing for school sports and workplace testing, or if you’ve been around a large group of people, or have a known COVID-19 exposure, for example. Learn more about free testing.
Beyond the Blueprint June 15
With more people getting protection from getting the COVID-19 vaccine, California is fully reopening the economy on June 15. Life will begin to feel a lot like before COVID-19. Restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters, and most everyday places will be open as normal with no capacity limits, facial coverings or social distancing required. This does not apply to those who are unvaccinated, schools, health care settings and some other public settings and large events. Learn more from CDPH.
CDPH Updated Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings
CDPH has provided updated face covering guidance as California is slated to lift many of its COVID-19 related restrictions on June 15. Per the guidance, unless exempt, unvaccinated individuals are advised to continue wearing a mask in indoor and outdoor public spaces. Those who have been vaccinated are not required to wear a mask in most indoor and outdoor settings. However, masks will still be required by all who are not exempt in public transportation settings, health care settings, and correctional facilities, for example. Read the June 9, 2021 CDPH Masking Guidance for details: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings.aspx.
