Marin County joins call for everyone to wear masks indoors



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Marin County has joined a regional movement recommending that everyone, regardless of their immunization status, wear face coverings when indoors in public places to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Several Bay Area counties and the city of Berkeley made the announcement on Friday. Local public health officials have relaxed their masking recommendations following widespread immunizations, saying only unvaccinated people need to wear masks both outdoors and indoors.

The emergence of the more infectious delta variant caused them to rethink. The counties participating in the new recommendation beyond Marin are: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma.

“Because it’s more contagious, the delta variant leads to more breakthrough cases,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County public health official. “One in four cases in Marin is now among people fully vaccinated. These are called cases of rupture.

Willis said the medical community needs to buy time to learn more about infectivity in people who have been vaccinated.

“There are concerns that if vaccinated people are contagious to others and do not cover their faces, they could spread to unvaccinated people who are vulnerable to serious illness. “

Dr Nicholas Moss, Alameda County health official, said in a statement: “The Delta variant is spreading rapidly and everyone should take steps to protect themselves and others from this potentially deadly virus.”

In June, delta variants made up 43% of all specimens sequenced in California, and as of July 4, they made up nearly 82% of specimens sequenced in Marin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that delta variants are now responsible for 58% of new infections across the country.

Willis said the good news is that vaccines protect people who are vaccinated against serious illness.

“Of the 137 revolutionary cases we saw in Marin, only two were hospitalized and none died,” he said.

As of July 13, Marin had an average of more than 17 new cases of COVID-19 per day, although 85% of county residents over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated and 92% over the age of 12 have received at least a dose of vaccine.

Latinos are the racial group in Marin with the highest percentage of vaccinations; only 2% of Marin Latinos are unvaccinated. Residents of Marin Black are the least vaccinated; 24% are not vaccinated.

Willis said business owners are urged to heed this new recommendation.

“Our hope is that companies will support this recommendation by posting signs encouraging people to cover their faces indoors and even require face covers for their customers,” said Willis. “They have every right to demand this.”

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