Faced with increasing coronavirus cases and growing concerns about Omicron variants, California is ordering a statewide mandatory mask for indoor public places, which will take effect on Wednesday.
This is because California's coronavirus case rate has risen by nearly 50% in the past 2½ weeks, while the COVID-19 hospitalization rate has risen by nearly 15%. Health officials across the state and counties said they suspect they might see a surge in coronavirus cases starting in the winter.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists California as a region with a high rate of transmission of the coronavirus, which is the worst level among the four levels of federal agencies.
"This is a critical moment, and we have a tool that we know has worked and can work," California Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Gurry said Monday. "We are actively applying this universal indoor sheltering tool to public places to ensure that we spend a time full of joy and hope-without deeper worries and despair."
The order will affect approximately half of the state’s population, including San Diego and Orange Counties, the Inland Empire, and large areas of the Central Valley and rural Northern California. The statewide indoor mask mandatory order will last for one month and will expire on January 15.
Many California counties—including Los Angeles, Ventura, and Sacramento—as well as most of the San Francisco Bay Area have implemented their own indoor mask regulations during the summer, and there is no end date.
The state also recommends that travelers returning or visiting the state be tested within three to five days of arrival.
On the same day that California announced the news, New York State issued statewide mask requirements in indoor public places, except for places where everyone indoors must be vaccinated. British officials also re-ordered the expansion of the regulations on wearing masks indoors.
With the rapid spread of Omicron variants discovered last month around the world, new orders for masks have arrived. The UK recorded the first death of a person infected with the Omicron variant.
"Omicron will almost certainly surpass Delta and cause a new wave of infections worldwide," Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote on Twitter. Although some people are optimistic that Omicron may cause less serious disease, "it will take time to figure out," Frieden wrote.
Frieden said that it is disturbing that studies of family members have found that Omicron causes more than twice the risk of transmission of the coronavirus compared to Delta. Frieden said that in the UK, officials expect Omicron's new cases to be the same as Delta sometime in mid-December, with Omicron's cases doubling every two to three days.
"There is no doubt that Omicron has the potential to cause a large number of infections worldwide. Even if the severe COVID is one-tenth of Delta or the previous variant, in absolute numbers, it may also cause a large number of hospitalizations or deaths," Dr. Say. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research and Translational Institute in La Jolla, wrote in a blog post.
"Similarly, we should not underestimate the impact of Omicron on long-term COVID. The spread of a large number of infections, even among vaccinated individuals, for them, the risk and severity of long-term COVID may be unclear, which is a lingering Serious problems to go," Topol wrote.
People continue to worry that COVID-19 immunization may be less effective for symptomatic diseases caused by Omicron. Early data showed that the effectiveness of Pfizer's two injections for symptomatic diseases dropped to 35%, but it rose to 75% after the booster injection. Nevertheless, according to Topol, this is not as effective as the vaccine against Delta, which is 95% effective after boosting the vaccine.
However, scientists suspect that vaccinations and boosters will still provide important protection against serious diseases.
In addition, due to the still dominant Delta variant, many states have been struggling to cope with the surge in COVID-19 in the winter. "We see that other states in the United States are facing the dilemma of overcrowded hospitals and large numbers of cases," Gurry said.
Gali said that for the recent variants of the coronavirus, data shows that if people are really sick, they will get sick sooner. "So the impact on the hospital may be faster," he said.
In addition, Ghaly said, no one is discussing that the stay-at-home order will be restored again this winter, so the hospital will face some challenges that it did not have last year in some respects.
Gali said he is concerned that hospital capacity is still under pressure and challenges, especially in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, the Central Valley, and rural areas in eastern and northern Sierra Leone. At this time of the year, many hospitals across the state are busier than usual, and the staff there are still exhausted from fighting the historical pandemic of the past 2 years, and there is still a large amount of suppressed medical needs delayed by the pandemic The early part of it.
Gary said there is evidence that masks will make a difference. Coronavirus can be spread through the air, or it can spread quietly from infected asymptomatic people.
"Even a 10% increase in indoor sheltering can significantly reduce the spread of cases," Gali said. "Wearing a mask will be one of the most important things to help us through this period of uncertainty."
Gary admitted that there may be people across the state who are not complying with the indoor mask requirement.
"We hope this situation is rare," Gali said. "In some places, law enforcement will be stronger than others."
But Ghaly expressed the hope that some communities will decide to comply with the new rules next month.
The mask policy “can have a real impact on the spread of cases, help protect our hospital system and save lives,” Gali said.
At least 10 studies recently cited by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the benefits of wearing masks, and “every analysis shows that the number of new infections has dropped significantly in accordance with the general instructions for wearing masks,” the state Department of Public Health said in a statement Said in.
State public health officials believe that in the indoor environment of California K-12 schools, the widespread requirement to wear masks helps keep schools open, even if other states across the country are forced to temporarily stop face-to-face teaching due to the outbreak. California officials said in a statement: "California accounts for approximately 12% of all American students, but only 1% of school closures related to COVID-19."
For parts of California, if the rule is widely followed, the new mask order will result in huge changes in daily life. Since the last order for masks in the state ended on June 15, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and San Diego County have not received orders for indoor masks.
Residents in some areas where local mask regulations are relaxed will also notice the difference. San Francisco said on Monday that people in indoor gyms or offices will no longer be allowed to wear masks, even if everyone inside is vaccinated.
However, in places such as Los Angeles and Ventura County, the state’s latest regulations basically echo the existing local mask orders and will not cause changes.
According to a new order that took effect on Wednesday, California is also tightening regulations related to access to large indoor events. Existing rules require customers aged 3 years and over for indoor activities with 1,000 people or more to present a certificate of full vaccination or a recent negative test result.
For customers who choose to show a recent negative test, the existing rules allow them to show up to 72 hours of the test; the new rules require customers to show the most recent test-if it is a PCR test, within two days; if it is a rapid antigen test, then in one day.
Health officials in Los Angeles and Orange County have warned in recent days that hospitals may be nervous again with COVID-19 patients this winter.
Orange County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong said that even if Omicron is not considered, Orange County needs to prepare for the possibility of a surge in COVID-19.
Chinsio-Kwong said on Friday: "Unfortunately, yes, our hospital has to reconsider their surge plan because they have been experiencing staff shortages to prepare for a very, very busy winter again."
The excessive number of COVID-19 cases may still make it more difficult for heart patients to get hospital beds and put them at greater risk of death or serious illness, "because they cannot get the care they need as soon as they need it," Chinsio- Kwong said.
In Los Angeles County, increasing vaccination rates have had an impact on reducing the burden on hospitals; during last year’s surge, 15% to 20% of coronavirus cases led to hospitalization, but during the Delta surge this summer, about 5 % To 6% of cases lead to hospitalization. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer recently stated that this "really reflects the power of these vaccines."
"But we are worried that the hospital care system will be under pressure. Many of our hospitals are facing ongoing staff shortages," Ferrer said.
Many medical staff have decided to leave the workforce. They are exhausted by the pandemic and are disappointed with anti-vaccination sentiment.
"So, although I don't think we will be hit as severely as last winter, it's all relative," Ferrer said. "Our job is to really do our best to make sure that people know what they can do to try to avoid serious COVID-related illnesses."
The death toll from COVID-19 in California is close to 75,000. The total number of deaths nationwide is close to 800,000.
People who are exempt from national indoor mask requirements include people under the age of 2; people who cannot wear masks due to medical or mental health conditions, including people who wear masks that will obstruct breathing or lose consciousness; and people who are hearing impaired or who are suffering from hearing loss. People who are impaired need to be able to see their mouths in order to communicate.
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Rong-Gong Lin II is a subway reporter based in San Francisco, specializing in covering earthquake safety issues and the COVID-19 pandemic across the state. The Bay Area native graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and started working for the Los Angeles Times in 2004.
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