Bay Area
Marin Aligns with State on Face Covering Guidelines Universal Indoor Masking Returns to All Indoor Public Spaces
Effective as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, previous local face covering exemptions carved out for indoor spaces with consistent cohorts of fully vaccinated people will no longer apply. Now, all people in Marin County, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask in all indoor public settings, in accordance with the state-wide mandate. This includes gyms, fitness centers, office settings, employee commuter vehicles, religious gatherings, college classes, and similar settings.

Courtesy of Marin County
With COVID-19 case rates rising rapidly, Marin County Public Health is aligning with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and requiring the wearing of face coverings in all indoor public places to stem the virus’ spread.
Effective as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, previous local face covering exemptions carved out for indoor spaces with consistent cohorts of fully vaccinated people will no longer apply. Now, all people in Marin County, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask in all indoor public settings, in accordance with the state-wide mandate. This includes gyms, fitness centers, office settings, employee commuter vehicles, religious gatherings, college classes, and similar settings.
The first case of Omicron variant in Marin was identified on Dec. 17. Since then, average daily COVID-19 case counts have tripled, fueled by the highly contagious Omicron variant. On Dec. 28, 338 new cases were reported, exceeding the prior highest daily case count by more than 100 cases.
“When we see numbers like this, it’s time to respond,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer. “The mask exemption for certain settings was a pre-Omicron policy. This variant behaves differently, and the risk of infection in a room full of vaccinated people who are unmasked is much higher now.”
Despite rising case counts, hospitalization rates for COVID-19 infections have remained stable across Marin. That is attributed to Marin County’s very high vaccination rate: 92.1% of Marin’s population ages 5 and over have completed a COVID-19 vaccine series. Still, health authorities express concern that hospitalization rates could increase significantly in the coming days if case counts continue to rise at current rates.
CDPH’s statewide indoor mask mandate went into effect Dec. 15. At that time, Marin and other local counties were given an option to adopt a pre-existing mask order in lieu of the state’s order. Marin and five other jurisdictions — the counties of Sonoma, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda, and the city of Berkeley — adopted local orders that allowed some exemptions not found in the state’s policy. The recension of the local order means Marin now falls under CDPH’s mask order, which remains in effect through at least Jan. 15, 2022.
On Dec. 28, Contra Costa County made a similar announcement, issuing a new health order that removed limited exemptions to indoor mask use.
COVID-19 vaccines, including booster doses, continue to offer the most effective protection against hospitalization and death from all variants of COVID-19 circulating in the Bay Area.
Safe, free, and effective COVID-19 vaccines are available to everyone ages 5 and up. Book an appointment or find a nearby clinic on GetVaccinatedMarin.org.
More information face coverings, local policies, and resources for businesses, including printable signs, can be found at Coronavirus.MarinHHS.org/masks.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

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Activism
Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland
Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.

By Magaly Muñoz
In 2023, the average spending on groceries increased by nearly $30 each month from the year before;people are spending over $500 a month to put food on the table.
Through previous reporting by the Post, we’ve learned that families in Oakland are depending more and more on free or low cost groceries from food banks because they can no longer afford the rising costs of food at the store.
Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.
We’ve recently spoken to families across these two areas of Oakland and have heard several stories that all point to one problem: food is expensive. Some individuals are spending upwards of $150 a week for themselves or double if they have teens or small children in the family.
We’ve also heard stories of people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure struggling to maintain their diets because they’re having a hard time affording the food that helps them stay healthy.
Do these experiences sound similar to what you or your family are dealing with every month? Are you struggling to afford your basic groceries every week? Do you depend on food banks to help you get by? Are there any chronic illnesses in your household that need to be managed by a special diet?
We want to hear about your experiences and ideas for solutions!
The Oakland Post is investigating food access in Oakland and how residents are surviving as the cost of living continues to increase. Your experiences will help shape our reporting and show local leaders the need to invest in our communities.
In order to get as much feedback as possible, we ask that you click this link to fill out a brief questionnaire or visit tinyurl.com/Oakland-Post-food-survey. You can also scan the QR code above to reach the survey. After you fill it out, please consider sharing the link with your friends and family in Oakland.
If you have questions, please reach out to our Oakland reporter Magaly Muñoz at mmunoz@postnewsgroup or text/call her at (510) 905-5286.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of January 22 – 28, 2025
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