Connect with us

Bay Area

State to End Indoor Mask Requirement in Health Care Facilities, Vaccine Requirement for Health Care Workers

California will draw down several COVID-19-related guidelines next month as the state shifts out of its emergency response to the pandemic, state health officials said Friday. Starting April 3, the state will no longer require the use of a mask in indoor areas that are deemed a high risk of transmission, including health care and long-term care facilities, homeless shelters and jails and prisons

Published

on

The state will also end its COVID vaccination requirement for health care workers and rescind health orders that required hospitals to accept patients from overcrowded facilities and that required the collection of an email address or phone number from a COVID vaccine recipient.
The state will also end its COVID vaccination requirement for health care workers and rescind health orders that required hospitals to accept patients from overcrowded facilities and that required the collection of an email address or phone number from a COVID vaccine recipient.

By Eli Walsh
Bay City News

California will draw down several COVID-19-related guidelines next month as the state shifts out of its emergency response to the pandemic, state health officials said Friday.

Starting April 3, the state will no longer require the use of a mask in indoor areas that are deemed a high risk of transmission, including health care and long-term care facilities, homeless shelters and jails and prisons.

The state will also end its COVID vaccination requirement for health care workers and rescind health orders that required hospitals to accept patients from overcrowded facilities and that required the collection of an email address or phone number from a COVID vaccine recipient.

“We stand before Californians today with a humble message of thanks for taking the hard steps to help manage COVID-19, and with an ongoing commitment to be prepared for what comes next,” California Department of Public Health Director and state Public Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragon said in a statement.

In addition to the changes on April 2, the state will update its isolation guidance on March 13 for those who test positive for COVID, allowing them to leave isolation after five days if their condition is improving and if they have not had a fever in at least 24 hours.

People who isolate after testing positive will no longer have to test negative for COVID before leaving isolation, according to the CDPH. The change is consistent with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The changes are part of the state’s drawdown of its emergency response infrastructure in recent weeks.

State-operated COVID testing and vaccination clinics have shuttered as those services shift to primary health care providers and retail pharmacies.

On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom also rescinded California’s COVID-19 state of emergency, which allowed local governments and the state to more efficiently coordinate public health programs and disperse emergency funding.

State public health officials continue to urge California residents to complete their initial COVID vaccination series if they have yet to do so and, if eligible, receive a booster vaccine dose to reduce the chance of becoming seriously ill or dying due to the virus.

As of March 2, 88.2 million COVID vaccine doses have been administered statewide. Roughly 73 percent of state residents have completed their initial vaccination series.

“Our communities did a lot of the hard work by getting vaccinated and boosted, staying home and testing when sick, requesting treatments when positive, and masking to slow the spread,” Aragon said. “With these critical actions, and a lot of patience and persistence, we have now reached a point where we can update some of the COVID-19 guidance to continue to balance prevention and adapting to living with COVID-19.”

 

 

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

###

EliWalsh2132p03/03/23

 

CONTACT: CDPH media CDPHpress@cdph.ca.gov

 

 

 

 

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: An image related to this story can be obtained from the following Bay City News Service web link: https://www.baycitynews.com/images/BCN-20221209-VACCINATION-01.JPG

Caption: The CVS Drugstore on  Mountain Blvd. in Oakland, Calif on Dec 8, 2022 offers vaccination and COVID test kits to customers. (Anna Moseidjord/Bay City News)

 

/www/bcn/general/03/newsclip.23.03.03.21.34.01.1.txt

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of July 2- 8, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 2 – 8, 2025

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Subscribe to receive news and updates from the Oakland Post

* indicates required

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE OAKLAND POST

ADVERTISEMENT

WORK FROM HOME

Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540

Facebook

Activism1 day ago

Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

#NNPA BlackPress4 days ago

Black Americans Still Face Deep Retirement Gaps Despite Higher Incomes

#NNPA BlackPress5 days ago

Scorching Heat Sparks Bipartisan Climate Alarm

#NNPA BlackPress6 days ago

Michael Jackson Estate Files Court Petition Alleging $213 Million Extortion Plot by Frank Cascio

#NNPA BlackPress6 days ago

WATCH: Glynn Turman receives a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame July 10

#NNPA BlackPress6 days ago

POWER IN ACTION: Delta Sigma Theta Hosts 57th National Convention

#NNPA BlackPress6 days ago

Measles Cases Hit 33-Year Record as CORI Deploys Outbreak Response Tools

#NNPA BlackPress6 days ago

PRESS ROOM: Intuit Expands IDEAS Program Nationally: Applications Now Open for the Company’s Award-Winning Business Accelerator

#NNPA BlackPress7 days ago

Target Looks for Love in All the Wrong Places as Black Leaders Reject Corporate Spin

#NNPA BlackPress7 days ago

A ‘New Direction’: West Coast Black News Publisher, Dr. John Warren, Elected Board Chair of NNPA

#NNPA BlackPress7 days ago

Facing Pressure From Black Voters, Democrats Detail Fight Against 47th President’s Agenda

#NNPA BlackPress7 days ago

OBSERVER Awarded Grant to Expand to Stockton

#NNPA BlackPress7 days ago

Medicaid Enrollees Targeted for Forced Farm Work Under Trump Immigration Crackdown

#NNPA BlackPress7 days ago

L.A. Dodgers Owner’s Ties to Private Prisons and Surveillance Spark Backlash from Latino Fans

#NNPA BlackPress7 days ago

Early Childhood Educators at Head Starts and Other Programs Say They’re Facing Even More Challenges

Trending

Copyright ©2021 Post News Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.