By Kate Galbraith
Alameda County will allow fully vaccinated people to remove their masks in a limited number of indoor settings — bringing its policies into line with those of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and Contra Costa counties.
Starting Monday, people in offices, gyms, churches and other indoor venues that host groups of people who gather regularly will be able to remove their masks, provided all are vaccinated and no one has COVID-19 symptoms.
Masks will continue to be required for everyone in bars, restaurants and stores until the county meets a set of criteria that reflect low case counts and high vaccination rates — a milestone that is unlikely before the end of the year. Kids must continue to wear masks in school.
“Allowing vaccinated people to remove their masks in these limited, controlled settings carries lower risk,” Dr. Nicholas Moss, health officer for Alameda County, said in a statement. “If vaccinated people choose to continue wearing masks, they should feel comfortable doing so.”
COVID hospitalizations in Alameda County have fallen to 89, down from 238 in August. Case rates in the county have fallen to about 7 per 100,000 per day (averaged over a week), down from 30 per 100,000 per day in late August at the height of the summer surge. By contrast, the low point in June was about 2 per 100,000 per day.
Nearly 72% of county residents are fully vaccinated.
“We’re looking forward to the day when we can safely remove all masking requirements,” Moss said. “To help us get there, we strongly encourage every eligible, unvaccinated person to get vaccinated as soon as possible. If you are 65 and older or have increased risk of severe illness due to other health or risk factors or are otherwise eligible, get your booster dose.”
Kate Galbraith is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kgalbraith@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kategalbraith