Employees Required to Wear Masks in County Offices
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Starting Dec. 15, employees will be required to wear masks when working indoors at County facilities, regardless of their vaccination status.
The new face covering requirement follows the guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued Dec. 13. The County follows CDPH’s guidance. The indoor face covering mandate is scheduled to last at least through Jan. 15, 2022 and will be reevaluated.
Employees will be required to wear masks, except when eating or drinking, or if working alone in a private office.
Exceptions also apply in these circumstances:
People with a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a mask.
People who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
People for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by workplace safety guidelines.
CDPH issued the new requirements in response to the increase in cases and hospitalizations in the state and the detection of the new Omicron variant. Face coverings are also required for all visitors in County public offices.
According to CDPH Guidance, “a face covering includes a surgical mask, a medical procedure mask, a respirator worn voluntarily, or a tightly woven fabric or non-woven material of at least two layers that covers the nose and mouth. A face covering does not include a scarf, ski mask, balaclava, bandana, turtleneck collar, single layer of fabric or any mask that has an unfiltered one-way exhaust valve.”