KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) modified masking requirements effective Thursday due to Omicron, but who is expected to be affected?
As cases continue to rise as a result of “highly transmissible” Omicron variant circulation, Public Health modified their Health Officer Order to enforce higher quality masks “knowing that vaccinations alone are not sufficient to prevent spread of Omicron.”
In the order, Public Health has called on employers to provide medical-grade masks to all indoor employees on or before Jan. 17, according to the new county health order.
Acceptable medical-grade masks, according to Public Health, are limited to the “blue paper” surgical masks and either N95 or KN95 masks as cloth masks may not provide adequate protection against strains of the coronavirus.
“As soon as possible, but no later than Jan. 17th, employers are required to provide their employees who work indoors in close contact with others with well-fitting medical-grade masks, surgical masks, or higher-level respirators, such as N95 or KN95 masks,” read a statement from Public Health. “These upgraded masks are better at blocking virus particles from going through the mask.”
Defined In the Health Officer Order, all “indoor public settings” include public and private businesses like offices, warehouses, retail, food and beverage services, theaters, family entertainment centers, state and local government offices as well as indoor and outdoor mega events, according to the order.
On Monday, Public Health announced that all public and private schools have required high-quality masks to be worn both inside and outside the classroom setting on campus, according to the L.A. County Health Officer Order.
See Related: Hart District Responds To Updated L.A. County Health Officer Order Guidelines
Under these school-wide conditions, students are recommended to wear well-fitting masks that are made of “multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose wire,” a decision that discourages the use of cloth masks by students, according to a response from the Hart District.
School staff, however, are required to wear medical grade masks ranging from “blue paper” surgical masks to higher level PPE like N95 and KN95 masks, rather than cloth masks, according to the Health Order.
“Given the explosive spread of the virus, activities that put us in close contact with many other people now have an increased risk,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health. “At work, this means upgrading your mask if you work indoors and you are in contact with other workers or members of the public. At entertainment venues, this means limiting the time you spend without wearing your upgraded mask.”
While Public Health has yet to clarify a full list of applicable jobs to be affected, teachers and administration seem to be just one facet of the “indoor employees” impacted by the Omicron order.
See Related: Where To Get COVID-19 Tested Amid Highest Coronavirus Spike In Santa Clarita History
“In workplaces, certain employees may be exempt from wearing a mask while performing specific tasks which cannot feasibly be performed while wearing a mask,” read a statement from the Health Order. “This exception is limited to the period of time in which such tasks are actually being performed.”
Those who cannot feasibly wear a mask while working and have not been vaccinated, fully vaccinated or have not received a booster dose are required to be tested for the coronavirus at least twice per week, according to the Health Order.
Fully vaccinated workers who have received a booster dose and cannot feasibly wear a mask while performing tasks at their job must be tested at least once per week, according to the Omicron Health Order.
For customers, masks are required to be worn by everyone, 2-years in age or older, regardless of vaccination status in the following settings:
- On public transit (airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, buses, taxis, etc.)
- In transportation hubs (bus terminals, train stations, airports, etc.)
- On school campuses
- In health care facilities (including long-term care facilities)
- Inside state and local correctional facilities and detention centers
- Homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers
- Inside workplaces including all public and private businesses
- At outdoor mega events
To maximize masking precautions, businesses are required to enforce guests to wear masks in indoor and outdoor mega event settings regardless of their vaccination status and post clear signage at all entry points of the business to communicate masking requirements, read the order.
For clarity, a person may only remove their mask for short periods of time while:
- Actively eating or drinking at a table or stationary counter
- Consuming food or beverages in a designated dining area of a cardroom or mega event
- Engaging in personal hygiene that requires temporarily removal of a face mask
Following each of these activities, masks must be immediately put back on, according to the Health Order.
To report a business not adhering to the Health Officer Order, click here.
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LaCounty health person Barbara Ferrar is NOT a medical doctor !!
Like you people listen to doctors anyway.
Florida hasn’t had any covid-19 mandates since October 2020, including a mask mandate!! Think about that and how long that’s been. Then ask yourself how does Florida have the same death rate as California?? The same death rate without all the BS rules?? How do you figure?? It’s Science!! Ha ha ha….sheep!
I was in Florida the month of July on the gulf and Atlantic side and you seldom saw anything related to COVID other than available hand sanitizer everywhere.I come back to mandates and lockdowns and end up getting COVID in the fall and now scumbag Newsom is calling in the national guard for help.The national guard should’ve been used for all the small businesses that lost revenue during the riots and smash and grab festivals.At least now this jack hole has to actually talk about his long list of “accomplishments” during his next campaign and debate other candidates on why he needs to be re-elected.
Are you talking about the number of cases in Florida? Their population is lower than California. That could explain it. We’ll learn more about all of this as time goes on (those of us who want to learn).
I’m talking about the death rate being the exact same in both states. 1.5%….percentages have nothing to do with population, that’s why it’s called a percentage.
Ask Ron DeSantis about the almost one million Covid tests that expired in Florida.
If you aren’t tested with your results reported, you don’t appear in their count.
I’d be more interested in the anti-vaxers (some evangelical ministers, as an example) who died from this and it was preventable. Really very sad.
Are you saying the “fully” vaccinated aren’t dying from covid-19 still? Is that what you mean by preventable?
Because that is 100% false!!
You didn’t write PERCENTAGE in your earlier comment. Thank you for making yourself clear.
*in your 12:08 comment
More unvaccinated people than vaccinated people have died of Covid. If you’ve heard of some exceptions, it doesn’t change the fact that by being vaccinated, if we get Covid, it will likely be a less severe case.
Florida’s rate of infection is up 227% if that’s your idea of success you need your head examined. And their Gov. Rick DeathSantis allowed 1 MILLION Covid-19 tests to go unused during this ongoing Omicron surge, if you think that’s something to brag about you are certifiable.. His wife is also currently battling breast cancer and you can bet his family is fully vaccinated and boosted, but he won’t admit to it. He’s a spineless moral coward like 99.9% of the GOP
You sleep alone don’t you?
That is your comment? So many people dead , living with long Covid, worried about their family, friends, and businesses, and you come up with that?
So again, despite your rant. California and Florida have the same covid-19 death rate. 1.5%!…percentage!….checkmate, enough said. Numbers aka Science!
Pres. Biden has allowed 100,000’s to cross the American border without a simple covid-19 test, much less a mandate to eat at Denny’s as an American tax paying citizen?
Please explain?
P.S. – checkmate ♟️
I just did some research. Air travelers from any country have to show proof and starting Jan.2022 (now)proof of vaccination/neg.test must be provided by any non-U.S. citizen when traveling into our country at any port of entry.
So I guess you can feel better somehow?
Heavy Flo, Typical Liberal Spin/trickery of words/content. Obviously, Richard was referring to Illegal Aliens! Not only diseases, but criminal backgrounds that are infiltrated by the Cartels that smuggle drugs & humans! Decent people & businesses are being mandated & locked down and driven into hysterical psychosis. Wake up, not Woke up!!
Richard, are people dead from Covid around the world? Yes. So let’s get back to your point. What is your point?That we shouldn’t require people to wear masks? Don’t require proof of vaccinations in the workplace or to visit establishments?
People die every single day for a variety of reasons, yes. Now back to my point.
My point is….one state does nothing for covid-19 restrictions and the other does EVERYTHING for covid-19 restrictions, but yet the numbers are the exact same🤷♂️. That’s all. It really makes no sense.
Can you warp your brain around that?, seriously. We do everything in California to stop the spread, Florida does nothing and the percentages are the same?? Honestly, what gives?
Richard,
People in Fl are dying and getting sick from Covid-19 just as anywhere the virus exists. Interesting that you still reside here in CA…me thinks you know your own BS cannot pass the sniff test. Anyhoo, if FL is your idea of a safe haven, I implore you to leave CA. NOW. I’m sure our state would welcome one less idiot and you’d fit right in with the DeathSantis Club. BE GONE