Several Bay Area counties will reinstate mask mandates starting November 1, continuing through March 31 or April 30, 2025, to curb the spread of COVID-19, the flu, and other respiratory illnesses. According to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, the mandates will require face coverings in hospitals, nursing facilities, and other healthcare settings.
The new orders are similar to last winter’s health measures, which aimed to slow virus transmission during the colder months. This time, however, the counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo are expanding the mandate to apply to both healthcare workers and visitors. Santa Clara County has gone a step further, also requiring patients to wear masks.
Counties reinstating mask requirements include Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Napa. Contra Costa County’s mandate covers healthcare facilities such as hospitals, dialysis centers, infusion centers, and more. San Mateo will require workers and visitors at nursing facilities to wear masks but residents will not be required to wear them.
In Santa Clara County, all individuals—healthcare workers, patients, and visitors—will be required to wear masks through March 31, 2025. There are exceptions to the mandate, including children under the age of two, individuals with medical conditions that make mask-wearing difficult, and those who are unconscious or incapacitated and cannot remove a mask without help.