Masks, vaccines no longer required in California health care, high-risk settings
Face masks are no longer required in health care or other high transmission risk settings, according to new statewide COVID-19 guidelines that took effect Monday.
The new California Department of Public Health guidelines state people can decide if they want to wear a mask in a health care or other high transmission risk settings, including senior care facilities, homeless centers and correctional facilities. Depending on the community COVID-19 transmission level, masks should be "considered" or are "strongly recommended" for staff members, residents, patients and visitors at these settings.
Riverside County has a low community transmission level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under the new guidelines, masks should be considered in high-risk settings. In other instances, people can wear a mask based on their personal preference. "Vulnerable people," including those who are immunocompromised or unvaccinated, or live with someone who is, should consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor public places and taking additional precautions.
The health department added that "medical facilities and other high-risk settings should develop and implement their own facility-specific plans based on their community, patient population and other facility considerations."
Riverside County spokesperson Jose Arballo Jr. said in an email: "Riverside County does not have any specific requirements — we continue to follow the recommendations outlined on the CDPH site. Individual facilities may enact their own requirements, but those are done separate from us."
Desert Care Network spokesperson Richard Ramhoff said adjusted mask guidelines at the three area hospitals — Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio and Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree — include:
Visitors and patients without respiratory symptoms are no longer required to wear a mask. Otherwise, a mask must be worn if visitors and patients are coughing, sneezing, have a runny nose, sore throat and/or a respiratory infection
Fully vaccinated staff without respiratory symptoms are not required to wear a mask
Individuals are required to wear a mask if they have had a COVID-19 infection or exposure in the last 10 days or are not fully vaccinated
Staff will follow all isolation precautions and use proper PPE based on patient’s condition.
Staff, visitors and patients may continue masking or ask their caregivers to mask based on their preference and comfort level
Eisenhower Health Rancho Mirage spokesperson Lee Rice said the health care facility "will follow the new state requirements" and that masking will not be mandatory for staff, patients or visitors. Communication to staff from Chief Quality Officer Dr. Eric Leroux also stated that isolation precautions and protocols remain in place for all applicable communicable diseases.
Also effective Monday, California will no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers and others in high-risk settings.
Ramhoff said COVID-19 vaccination requirements for Desert Care Network staff are still in effect, per the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers.
In California, 72.8% of eligible residents have received their primary shots, while 61.3% have had their primary series and booster. Numbers are lower in Riverside County — 60.3% of eligible residents have completed their primary series, and 30.3% have been boosted.
Those who want to get vaccinated, whether a primary series or a booster, can find the nearest location to them at www.vaccines.gov.
The changes come more than a month after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ended the state’s COVID-19 State of Emergency. The Biden administration also anticipates ending the national public health emergency for COVID-19 on May 11.
Eisenhower Health did not immediatley respond to The Desert Sun when asked about any plans to update their own policy.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Masks, vaccines no longer required in California high-risk settings
