On November 8, Del Norte and Humboldt counties will lift the outdoor masking requirements

As decisions to vaccinate and wear face coverings in public indoor and outdoor crowded settings drive down COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations, health officers for two rural Northern California counties that require face coverings in public spaces today reached consensus on criteria to lift those health orders.

All the health officers across the rural Northern California counties continue to work together to protect public health with a consistent regional approach, and to plan for the next phase of response and recovery to COVID-19 as this current wave of the pandemic ebbs.

On Monday, Nov. 8, Del Norte and Humboldt counties will lift the outdoor masking requirements. Additionally, the two counties will lift the indoor masking requirement in public spaces not subject to state or federal masking rules when all the following occur:

Consistently low and stable COVID-19 cases by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data tracker

Consistently low and stable hospital impact of respiratory viruses including COVID-19

Improved community protection with vaccination.

Both health departments issued the masking requirements for their respective jurisdictions in August following a summer surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths that were the worst yet for the rural Northern California region.

But now with regional data showing the surge is receding, and with vaccination rates increasing across the region, health officials in these counties are offering guidelines to inform the public when they can expect local masking orders to be removed. 

Masks and vaccination continue to be the best protections against COVID-19, and these principles support the evidence and science used to make important public health policy decisions.

Del Norte County’s health officer Dr. Aaron Stutz said, “It is no accident that transmission has slowed in the rural north of our state. Public health interventions, including masking, are working. Our health orders, COVID-19 vaccination, as well as outreach and education are all added layers of protection and have resulted in saved lives. Our communities all worked together to lessen the impact of this deadly Delta surge and will continue to work together as we enter recovery.”

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman agreed, “Vaccination is the best way to protect our communities,” he said. “We will continually evaluate our progress on vaccination as those numbers help us decide when it will be safe to lift the masking orders.”

California’s health guidance for the use of face coverings will remain in effect after local masking requirements are lifted, meaning that people who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 must continue to wear masks in businesses and indoor public spaces.

11/4:  The daily press release on cases and hospitalizations included the following information.

County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman issued a new face covering order yesterday set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Nov. 8. 

Under the new Order:

Humboldt County residents and visitors — regardless of vaccination status — must wear a face covering or mask in all indoor public settings and workplaces.Outdoor masking will no longer be required as of Nov. 8, including for children age 2 and older in school and daycare. Masking will continue to be strongly recommended in crowded outdoor spaces.Specific benchmarks are outlined that must be met to: 

Trigger an exception for unmasked gatherings of 100 people or fewer

Rescind the order in full.

Nearly 59% of the county’s total population is fully vaccinated. Once the county reaches 70% fully vaccinated, certain indoor settings with stable cohorts of 100 or fewer fully vaccinated individuals may gather without masks if that setting is not covered by more restrictive state or federal guidance. Examples include gyms, fitness centers, religious gatherings and college classes. To gather unmasked, hosts, employers or organizers have to verify that all individuals are fully vaccinated, maintain a list of all attendees and control public entry.

Criteria for rescinding the mask order entirely include the following:

Humboldt County must meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data tracker “moderate” transmission level for 21 consecutive days.Public Health officials determine hospital impacts from COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses remain low.The county reaches 80% vaccination rate of the total population or Public Health officials determine there is sufficient community protection based on vaccination rates.