SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Citing a sharp increase in COVID-19 infection rates since Thanksgiving, the state announced Monday that beginning Wednesday, a universal indoor mask mandate for all indoor public settings will be in place across California regardless of vaccination status.
The mask mandate, mirroring a requirement already in effect in Los Angeles County and select other counties across the state, will remain in place until Jan. 15.
The state will also toughen the restriction for unvaccinated people who attend indoor "mega-events" of 1,000 people or more, requiring them to receive a negative COVID test within one day of the event if it's a rapid antigen test or within two days for a PCR test. The current rules require a test within 72 hours of the event.
State officials will also recommend, but not require, that people who travel to California or return to the state after traveling be tested for COVID within three to five days.
San Diegans have mixed reactions.
"Are they mandating it for unvaccinated and vaccinated? I don't think that is fair," said Kristen Marlow.
The mother wore her mask as she walked into Target but she didn't support a requirement.
"I think it should be a choice, honestly. It shouldn’t be a mandate. There are people who do have breathing issues, asthma certain things that restrict them," said Marlow.
Other shoppers said the mandate should have happened a long time ago.
"I think it's better that we do have this mask mandate especially during the holidays just to make sure everything is OK and with COVID cases going up and new the variant," said Ariana Huert.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said the rule change is being prompted by what he called a 47% increase in COVID-19 case rates across the state since Thanksgiving. He said over that time, the statewide rate of daily new cases went from 9.6 per 100,000 residents to more than 14 per 100,000.
Ghaly said state officials also acted in hopes of avoiding the dramatic surge in cases experienced statewide last year during the winter holiday months.
"As we look at the evidence that masks do make a difference, even a 10% increase in indoor masking can reduce case transmission significantly," he said.
Not all health experts support this mask mandate.
"If we've learned something through the delta surge applying it now even if omicron is here doesn't actually make sense," said Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, Infectious Disease doctor at UCSF.
She said the mandates should not be statewide.
"County-by-county because there are places where hospitalizations are going up and there are places with high vaccination rates and hospitalizations are not going up," said Gandhi.
San Diego County's seven-day average is about 19.8 cases per 100,000 and the state's is 14 per 100,000.
She said studies show during the delta surge hospitalizations or cases were associated with vaccinations not mask mandates or lack thereof. Dr. Gandhi said putting the mandate into effect for 30 days rather than having a metric goal could build public distrust.
"The data is so clear about how vaccinations are more important than masks and I think it helps the population feel motivated to get vaccinated and not see this up and down on a dime mandates," said Gandhi.
Under current state guidelines -- which are followed by many counties including Riverside, Orange and San Diego -- masks are only required indoors at public transit facilities such as airports, healthcare settings, adult and senior care facilities, schools, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling centers.
The state already technically requires mask-wearing for unvaccinated people at indoor public facilities, but the new rule will impact everyone regardless of vaccine status.
The County of San Diego follows CDPH’s requirements:
“Masks help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and its many variants,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “San Diegans should wear a mask while indoor in public places to protect themselves and others.”
Los Angeles County has long maintained a mask-wearing mandate at indoor public facilities. Ghaly said roughly half of California's population lives in counties that already have an indoor mask-wearing requirement in place.
Among the indoor public spaces affected are retail stores, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers and government offices that serve the public.
In addition to wearing a mask indoors in public places, the following measures also help to protect against all varieties of COVID-19, including the Omicron variant:
- Get vaccinated and get a booster if you qualify. The vaccine is available at health care providers, retail pharmacies and community clinics. You can also make an appointment or find a site near you by calling (833) 422-4255 or visiting the My Turn website.
- Get tested if you’ve travelled or have any symptoms, whether you’ve been vaccinated or not. You can make a free test appointment or find a walk-in test clinic at coronavirus-sd.com.
- Wash your hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick and distance yourself from others.
WATCH RELATED: Man in 30s, vaccinated and boostered, is 2nd San Diego omicron variant case (Dec 10, 2021)