A California wine country county has issued strengthening vaccine guidance this week and has ordered masks to be worn inside healthcare facilities due to an increased risk of COVID-19 as flu season begins.
Dr. Karen Smith, Interim Health Officer for Sonoma County, has mandated that masks must be worn in specified healthcare settings including skilled nursing facilities, areas of long-term care with nursing services, rehabilitation centers, infusion centers and dialysis centers.
“The risk to vulnerable patients of COVID, flu and other respiratory viruses in healthcare facilities remains significant, so it continues to be important for face masks to be used in patient care areas when seasonal risk of exposure to one or more viruses is high,” Smith said.
The mask mandate lasts from Nov. 1 to March 31, 2026, with Smith able to expand facility coverage as needed. The requirement will be renewed annually unless revoked.
Masks and their effectiveness have been a relatively consistent dividing line between liberal and conservative cities since the onset of the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020.
Some have maintained that masks are ineffective when applied in a real-world setting, citing the Cochrane review that critics say proved masks don’t work, while others say the study was misinterpreted.
Civil libertarians contend mask mandates remain a form of government overreach particularly when fines or other punishments are implemented.
“In California, vaccines remain covered by insurance for residents of all ages — and they remain the best protection we have against respiratory virus infections,” Smith added.
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