Vaccines get an overhaul from FDA, Ex-controller for Anaheim companies gets 5 years for embezzlement, Fire at Barnes & Noble in Orange disrupts book-signing event, Cold, drizzly week ahead for Southern California, Manhunt continues for Texas shooting suspect, reward offered, Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (April 20-27), More land sliding at Casa Romantica; residents evacuated, trains halted through San Clemente, Then and Now: Photos of Casa Romantica show damage caused by landside, Orange County Artist of the Year winners announced, The DMV says permission to drive is based on ability, but older drivers are scrutinized more, OC Marine who volunteered in Ukraine, survived rocket attack: I would do it again, Joe Bidens re-election bid is off to a bad start, Henry Winkler advises find a passion and stick with it, no matter the stage of life, A look at Orange Countys baseball teams and the CIF-SS playoffs, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Furthermore, Placer (no mandate) had a peak rate of 48.7 . We're not seeing that," said Jose Arballo, public information officer for the Riverside County Department of Health. Chief of Public Health Services In announcing the change on social media Monday, Gov. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer), During recent graduation ceremonies, masks were available at schools in the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District, including these masks emblazoned with the mascot for Valencia High. Credit: ITM. A coalition of Orange County superintendents last Friday, have called on Newsom to announce a criteria for easing school masking requirements, according to the Orange County Department of Education. The Orange County Health Care Agency reported 368,432 total cases as of Thursday with 6,266 positive cases; two new deaths were reported Thursday. The Orders and Strong Recommendations, above, shall not supersede any conflicting or more restrictive orders issued by the State of California or federal government. To help prevent the spread of droplets containing COVID-19, all county residents and visitors should refer to the CDPHs Guidance for the Use of Face Masks. Chinsio-Kwong said when people ignore the mandates, medically vulnerable residents end up sick or in the hospital. The case rate per 100,000 residents is at 6.4. Its not like we have another choice., Life is full of chances. The government should not be parenting, said McKeeman, a mother of three students in the Carlsbad Unified School District in San Diego County. Other parents are frustrated by the mandate, saying they believe masks pose a risk to their childs mental health and their ability to learn. Masking in schools has allowed all schools to remain open, they say, and there is no risk of the state shutting down if people wear their masks. Per the California Department of Public Health, everyone is required to wear masks in: Masks are required for unvaccinated people and recommended for everyone in places of worship. The messaging around masks was one of the original sins of the pandemic, like we didnt do a good job of explaining their benefits and its just been muddled ever since, Noymer said. County Health Officer Driver rescued after car plunges more than 500 feet off NorCal cliff, Authorities continue search for Texas man suspected of killing 5, Lakers, LeBron James to play Warriors, Steph Curry in NBA showdown. Its harming (childrens) mental health, their academic progress and their social development. hospitals have set up tents to increase capacity during the surge. Mandates like this have left many residents in OC angry even at the start of the pandemic. After COVID-19 cases continued to spike in Florida and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings recommended that indoor mask mandates return, Disney complied. The new policy was decided at a school board meeting on Tuesday and will go into effect. Right now, health officials said anyone who feels safer wearing a mask should continue to do so especially in public places and indoors, and they encourage folks to get the COVID-19 vaccine or booster if eligible. According to OC Health Care Dr. Clayton Chau, the indoor masking requirement will go into effect beginning December 15, 2021, and the State will make further recommendations after January 15. Watch FOX 35 News for the latest updates. Gavin Newsom's administration brought back the masking mandate in mid-December as omicron cases climbed through the holiday season, extending the requirement through Feb. 15. That is literally our only way out.. UPDATE: Orange County Board of Education will sue Newsom over face masks Other parents are frustrated by the mandate, saying they believe masks pose a risk to their child's mental health. If any portion of this document or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of the document, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected and shall continue in full force and effect. On July 22, two groups, Let Them Breathe and Reopen California Schools, filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Californias school mask mandate. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed an executive order blocking schools from mandating face coverings. Getting Free At-Home COVID Tests In CA: 5 Things To Know, Vaccine Mandate Proposed For CA Schoolchildren: Readers Weigh In, Free N95 Masks Available At CA CVS, Costco And Walgreens Soon. The increasing case counts "indicates we're heading into a surge," Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong said Friday. A brief look at revised Indoor Masking, Testing for Mega Events and Testing for Travel: Universal Indoor Masking: Masks are required to be worn in all indoor public settings, regardless of vaccine status, between December 15, 2021 through January 15, 2022, Testing for Mega Events: Individuals attending Mega Events (indoor crowds of 1,000 or more, or outdoor crowds of 10,000 or more) must provide proof of vaccination, a negative antigen test within one day of the event, or a negative PCR test within two days prior to entry into the event, facility or venue, Travel Advisory: All travelers arriving in and returning to California from other states or countries are recommended to test for COVID-19 3-5 days after arrival, regardless of vaccination status. Orange County has also seen an uptick in new cases and hospitalizations, according to the county's weekly update, released on Tuesday. 5:40 pm. ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Orange County Public Schools will mandate masks for students for 60 days. Thats a good question. California to lift indoor mask mandate as omicron cases fall Masks still are the rule for schoolchildren, state health officials announced Monday. Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask. The school system issued a mask mandate for adults during the COVID-19 omicron surge in January. Some parents are saying uphold the mask mandate. Others are saying dont enforce it., I dont know if well get further guidance, he added. But county officials including public health officials have repeatedly said they dont have the power to enforce masks. Update: Commissioners will drop mask mandate in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough public spaces . Those areas include health care, long-term care, and correctional facilities as well as homeless, emergency and warming and cooling centers. CHIEF OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES, MATTHEW ZAHN, MD To this end, the provisions of the Orders and Strong Recommendations, above, are severable. At an early February council meeting, Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu paused a residents public comment period to ask him to put his mask on. "It's fair to say we're all seeing this increase in cases. . Still, that mandate comes with a flip-side: School districts in California must offer students who refuse to wear a mask the opportunity to do an independent study program. The mask debate isnt unique to California. The fact of the matter is that on the ground, people are not always following these mandates and I think stores and whatnot are increasingly loath to enforce them, UC Irvine epidemiologist Andrew Noymer said in a Thursday phone interview. Ventura and Orange counties also moved into the "high" level this week based on elevated rates of people being infected with the virus. I do still believe that people should be masking, but I think at the moment it is going to have to be on a voluntary basis because even with the so-called rules, theres not going to be total compliance nor very much enforcement, he said. Officials in a couple of states including Oregon have announced plans to get rid of their own school mask mandates. Entering what he described as the fourth big surge since the pandemic began, Korber said the tricky part will be seeing the variants impact on health care workers who are on the front lines. Diana Lambert. Chinsio-Kwong said data shows unvaccinated people are the ones getting sick and young adults between 19 to 44 are having the highest case rates. He said transmission in the community is up due to the highly transmissible omicron subvariants. Nonetheless, the mask mandate that for some never was is ending following a vicious winter surge in OC that saw case rates skyrocket before eventually dropping and after the county hit a grave milestone of over 6,000 deaths from COVID. REASONS FOR THE ORDERS AND STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS, Regina Chinsio-Kwong, DO 2, 2022 Effective Monday, March 7, 2022, Orange County will no longer require masks in public, indoor spaces if key COVID-19 metrics continue to . The state department of public health says that the masking-up "has proven to decrease the rate of infections" and "slow community transmission." Health & Fitness CA Mask Mandate Ending Soon In Laguna Beach, Orange County After a masked-up start to the new year, vaccinated Laguna Beach residents will no longer have to wear masks come Feb. 15. Even with the recent increase in cases, the state is averaging a little more than 14 cases per day per 100,000 people. We hope that those are few and far between, that most people see the purpose of doing this over the next month as something to protect them and their communities during a very tough time.. Gavin Newsom is taking actions that go far beyond what any other governor or any other state has done., California joins other states with similar indoor mask mandates, including Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New Mexico, Nevada, Hawaii and New York. Several trustees in school districts across Orange County like Placentia-Yorba Linda have passed resolutions calling on the state to rethink school mask mandates. But in Florida currently experiencing the nations biggest coronavirus surge Gov. We have safe, effective vaccines and boosters, and now we have treatments. 2021. according to the states public health department, passed a resolution in support of children going maskless, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Daily Pilot e-newspaper: Sunday, April 30, 2023, Newport Beach woman who survived abusive relationship uses her experience to empower others, Laguna Beach High students to install pop-up floral art mural at Promenade on Forest, Vanguard University unveils Patty Arvielo School of Business and Management, Newport to Ensenada Race: 21-year-old sailor hopes for robust winds throughout event, Daily Pilot e-newspaper: Saturday, April 29, 2023, O.C. Please help us get more people vaccinated. For the PDF English version, click here. San Bernardino and Riverside counties are currently in the "medium" category. But the state confused it, making it sound like districts have options. If you test positive for COVID, you only have to isolate for five days, not ten, as long as you don't have a fever and your symptoms are improving. COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER Share your thoughts in a community opinion piece. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Contributing Photographer). August 19, 2021. HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. Mar. You are fever-free for at least 24 hours without taking fever reducing treatments, AND. The California Health and Safety Code section 120130 (d) authorizes the County of Orange Health Officer to require strict or modified isolation, or quarantine, for any case of contagious, infectious, or communicable disease, when such action is necessary for the protection of the public health. UPDATE: Orange County Board of Education will sue Newsom over face masks. The state also is recommending travelers who visit or return to California to get tested within five days of their arrival. And the tool we have at our disposal, besides vaccinations which are not available for younger kids, is masks, he said. School districts have always been in charge of enforcement, Franklin said. ORANGE COUNTY, CA California will lift its statewide mask mandate for indoor public places next week, health officials reported. The county has logged 199 new coronavirus cases, raising the cumulative count to 317,752 since the pandemic began. California orders statewide mask requirement starting Wednesday amid rising coronavirus cases Shoppers wearing face masks wait in line to enter a store at the Citadel Outlets in Commerce on. The California Supreme Court wasted little time denying a petition from the Orange County Board of Education today that asked the court to overturn the state's mask mandate. Mayor Demings says he believes these goals are achievable. The governor can do this because California is still operating under an emergency declaration Newsom issued at the beginning of the pandemic. School district officials, including Pulver, say the California Department of Health confused parents on July 13, when it issued two statements about masks at school. All rights reserved, Los Angeles County faces a very likely indoor mask mandate, Post-Prom Fight in Palmdale Ends in Gunfire, 25-Year-Old Makes $200/Hour Without a Bachelor's Degree: I Work Less Than 6 Hours a Day', Hollywood Braces for Possible Writers Strike as Talks Continue, How Much Could You Get in New $725M Facebook Settlement? Orange County already hit the "high" level July 15. If our health care workers get infected and need to take time off, that could also have a big impact on our hospital capacity, Korber said. The Orders and Strong Recommendations issued on September 23, 2022, are no longer in effect as of March 24, 2023. For Health Care Workers, Adult and Senior Care and Direct Care Workers and those persons who provide health care in Correctional settings: All persons working in these settings should follow the State Health Officers orders and the CDPHs Guidance, found at the following links. They are not the only ones who have rallied against the states school mask mandate. Quick ended up resigning in June 2020 and county Health Officer Dr. Clayton Chau walked back the mandate. I really ask everyone in Orange County to be a little more careful than theyve been moving forward for the next month or two to limit how fast this spreads.. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. With coronavirus cases on the rise,. Mask Mandate to be amended March 7th, 2022 to No Longer Require Masks in Public, Indoor Spaces Orange County leaders say decision is contingent on COVID-19 Community Levels. A list of conditions that increase peoples risk for severe COVID-19 disease can be found here: PerCDPH masking guidance, infected persons should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings. "At a minimum, we may see the same rise of hospitalizations we saw in August or September, which peaked at 592 patients Aug. 26. That's dwarfed by 2,259 patients on Jan. 7, just as vaccines were being rolled out for health care workers. Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code sections 101030, 101470, 120175, and 120130, the County Health Officer for the County of Orange orders and strongly recommends the following: All Orange County residents and persons who work in Orange County, and who fall under one of the following categories, shall obtain the seasonal flu vaccination unless a medical or religious exemption applies: Nothing herein shall be construed as an obligation, on the part of employers, public or private, to require employees obtain the seasonal flu vaccination as a term or condition of employment. "There is light at the endof the tunnel," Demings said, although he does not want the county's residents to get complacent. The CDC says it's safe to be outdoors or indoors in small gatherings without a mask as long as others are fully vaccinated. Very young children must not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 data tracker. The Orders and Strong Recommendations contained in this document are necessary and the least restrictive preventive measures to control and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Orange County, help preserve critical and limited health care capacity in Orange County and save the lives of Orange County residents. (Revised March 24, 2023). All Orange County residents must wear masks indoors for the next month, regardless of vaccination status, under a new statewide mask mandate that kicked in Wednesday ahead of Christmas and the new . Mask wearing is not required outdoors, Chau says. We're all in this together.". With the state leaving enforcement of the mandate to school districts, one question remains: What will happen if students show up to school and refuse to wear a mask? "I believe we will continue to do so. A violation of a health order is subject to fine, imprisonment, or both (California Health and Safety Code section 120295). Gov. But Durham and Orange counties, at least for now, plan to keep the indoor mask. We must comply with face masks, and local boards cannot adopt less restrictive measures than what is mandated, said Los Alamitos Unified Superintendent Andrew Pulver. They need to have that choice to unmask and every family should be able to make medical decisions themselves, said Let Them Breathe founder Sharon McKeeman. That said, this is a critical time where we have a tool that we know has worked and can work.. "Omicron has loosened its hold on California, vaccines for children under 5 are around the corner and access to COVID-19 treatments is improving," Public Health Officer Dr. Toms J. Aragn said in a news release. The county's deputy health officer added that testing of wastewater indicates the newer, more contagious Omicron variant was likely circulating in California prior to Thanksgiving. And at least three county school districts Capistrano, Placentia-Yorba Linda and Saddleback Valley have formally asked state health officials to kill the mandate and make face masks optional on campus. Our numbers dont look good, said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, a deputy health officer with Orange County, during Supervisor Katrina Foleys Community COVID Update Zoom meeting Wednesday evening. Local health officials get concerned . RELATED:CDC: Fully vaccinated Americans can do some outdoor activities without mask. Los Alamitos Unified School District trustees have also enforced the state mask mandate at their meeting and ended up meeting in an alternate room in January when people at their meeting refused to comply with the requirement. April 21, 2023. But for parents like Kambiz Shoarinejad, who has two sons enrolled at Tustin Unified, the face masks make sense. "That should encourage more people to get vaccinated.". That stands in stark contrast to cities like Anaheim, where officials made sure residents wore masks inside the city council meeting chambers. Additionally, all Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers and suppliers are to follow the CDCs COVID-19 vaccination requirements stated at. The strong recommendation for universal masking at skilled nursing facilities when two or more COVID-19 cases are identified in a facility is based on the disproportionate burden of serious disease and death caused by COVID-19 in these facilities residents throughout the pandemic. Even so, Ghaly said hospitals in several counties with low vaccination rates are still struggling with lots of patients, including parts of Southern California in Riverside, San Bernardino, Mono and Inyo counties. They issued the guidance, and they suddenly put the enforcement on the backs of local school boards, with really no information on what that means.. California to end mask requirement for high-risk indoor settings, vaccine mandate for health care workers in April. Some local governments and school districts have been enforcing the mask mandate at indoor public meetings like the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District. Newsom has issued lots of other coronavirus mandates, including requiring state employees, health care workers and, soon, public school students and teachers to be vaccinated. Its an issue thats been seen at Orange County Board of Supervisors meetings throughout the pandemic. California's existing indoor mask mandate will remain in place through Feb. 15 as previously scheduled, officials said. Orange County Public Schools announced Monday it was reinstating its mask mandate for all . While fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to mask indoors, we still recommend that you continue to wear a mask indoors, regardless of your vaccination status, especially those who are at high risk or living with loved ones who have comorbidities or who are immunocompromised or prone to getting sick, she said. SAN FRANCISCO -- California's COVID masking rules are changing according to new information from the state's department of public health. Some parents have even threatened to sue teachers over mask enforcement. Early in the day, the agency said schools must exclude students if they come to class without a mask and refuse to wear one provided by the school. Thursday. Yes, its a little uncomfortable to wear the masks for several hours a day. At least nine O.C. City News Service contributed to this report. But since then, county governments covering about half of the states population have imposed their own indoor mask mandates as case rates surged with new variants. The order comes as the per capita rate of new coronavirus cases in California has jumped 47% in the past two weeks. For now, it looks like kids who show up without masks wont be allowed to sit in classes with kids who are wearing them. Even if people have been vaccinated, the mandate calls for mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. But Orange County health officials do not. California has reported an average of 54,695 new cases per day over the last week, the highest rolling total in the nearly two-year pandemic, according to data compiled by The Los Angeles Times. Gavin Newsoms administration announced the new mandate will start Wednesday and last until Jan. 15. Eighteen percent of all COVID-19 county resident deaths have occurred in SNF residents. Instead, they held their meeting last week outdoors. The responsibility of enforcing the mandate was up to businesses and the community, Chinsio-Kwong said. California indoor mask mandate returns Wednesday, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), See how COVID deaths are plummeting this spring, COVID-sniffing dogs can help detect infections in K-12 schools, new California study suggests. They will also be required to be worn at homeless shelters, prisons, senior care facilities, health care settings and schools, Chinsio-Kwong said during last weeks press conference. Further details about Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulation Standards can be found at: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/Non_Emergency_Regulations/. Wearing a mask in those high-risk indoor settings will still be recommended. Statewide and in O.C., more people have required hospital care for non-COVID issues this winter. The COVID-19 federal public health emergencya separate declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services from January 2020remains in effect for now. However, masks are recommended for situations with large crowds or for activities like indoor shopping and salon visits. Noymer said the request can you please put your mask on? has been declining throughout OC. Persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines. Mask Mandate Returns to Orange County Wednesday by Spencer Custodio Dec 13, 2021 Updated Jan 3, 2022 Why you can trust Voice of OC. At that time, we will again reevaluate across California our communitys health care delivery to make sure that we are taking the latest information to determine if there there would be another extension or if were prepared to lift that requirement, Ghaly said. If L.A. County stays at the "high" category for two weeks straight, officials say it would trigger a new indoor mask mandate. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a mask could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance. Its unclear if those requests will gain traction. Jared Polis of Colorado who told Colorado Public Radio last week that The emergency is over and public health (officials) dont get to tell people what to wear.. Noymer emphasized even with masks dropping, people can and should wear masks. It's a move residents in some neighboring counties should not expect to see. "It's more of the same,'' Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist and UC Irvine professor of population health and disease prevention, told City News Service on Friday. At this point, we are here to provide recommendations and really safeguard our community and its still a community responsibility to maintain a mandate.. Mask mandate in OC schools raises ire, praise, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Face mask mandate in schools raises ire, praise and confusion in Orange County, Youve got a blank canvas; now be creative and live fully alive, Hundreds of OC teens participate in Global Youth Service Day, Orange County Board of Education will sue Newsom over face masks, Placentia-Yorba Linda school board wants face masks to be optional, Dont be confused: online schools arent distance learning, signed an executive order blocking schools from mandating face coverings, California changes course on school masks, will let individual districts enforce mandate, California recommends masks for all indoors amid COVID surge, LA County will require masks indoors regardless of vaccination status starting Saturday night, Long Beach will require all city employees to get COVID-19 vaccine or be tested weekly, Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (April 20-27), More land sliding at Casa Romantica; residents evacuated, trains halted through San Clemente, Then and Now: Photos of Casa Romantica show damage caused by landside, Orange County Artist of the Year winners announced, The DMV says permission to drive is based on ability, but older drivers are scrutinized more, OC Marine who volunteered in Ukraine, survived rocket attack: I would do it again, Joe Bidens re-election bid is off to a bad start, Henry Winkler advises find a passion and stick with it, no matter the stage of life, A look at Orange Countys baseball teams and the CIF-SS playoffs, Fire at Barnes & Noble in Orange disrupts book-signing event, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information.
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