Mask mandates return in wealthy blue state county, leaders cite ‘risk of COVID’ and up vaccine recommendations

A county in California wine country is beefing up its vaccine recommendations and instituting a mask mandate, citing “greater risk” of contracting COVID-19 amid the start of the annual flu season.

The Sonoma County Department of Public Health’s Interim Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith issued an order Monday requiring anyone entering certain healthcare facilities in the county to wear a mask. Facilities subject to the order include skilled nursing facilities, portions of long-term care facilities where nursing care is provided, acute and non-acute rehabilitation facilities, infusion centers, and dialysis centers, according to the order.

“The rationale behind this order is to protect the most vulnerable populations (such as the elderly and cancer patients) and to try to prevent medical staff from getting sick and creating staffing problems for facilities,” a spokesperson for the Sonoma County Department of Health told Fox News Digital.

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The mask mandate will run from Nov. 1 until March 31, 2026, and the order states that Smith can expand the type of facilities subject to it on an as-needed basis. Additionally, the requirement will be put in place annually unless otherwise rescinded.

The order does provide some exemptions, including anyone “with a diagnosed medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents the individual from wearing a face mask.” Hearing impaired folks who must see the mouth to communicate are also exempt, as well as anyone else for whom local, state or federal regulators deem could be harmed from wearing one.

The order also dictates what masks must be worn. A surgical mask, KN95, KF94, or N95 respirator are acceptable, but more informal masks, such as a scarf, ski mask, balaclava, bandana, turtleneck, collar, cloth mask, or “any mask that has an unfiltered, one-way exhaust valve,” will not satisfy the order’s requirements.

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Coinciding with the mask mandate in Sonoma County, Smith also issued stronger guidance pertaining to COVID-19 and flu vaccines, telling the public it is strongly recommended for everyone 6-months of age and older. She also recommended that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks in indoor public spaces when the COVID influenza risk is high. 

Smith’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, and even her mask mandate aimed at protecting older populations, contradict guidance coming from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on a new recommendation from HHS that removes the recommendation that adults 65 and older get vaccinated for COVID-19. The CDC also signed off on recommending that people ages 6-months to 64-years discuss with their doctors before they decide whether, or not, to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Meanwhile, Kennedy and HHS have also narrowed the approval scope for new COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to a series of other measures committed to “science, safety, and common sense.”