By The Leader Staff
Kings County health officials announce public health mandate requiring month-long facemask use

The Kings County Department of Public Health, following up on new guidance from the California Department of Public Health will update its masking guidance adding a temporary requirement for universal masking indoors statewide effective December 15, 2021, through January 15, 2022.

“To ensure that we collectively protect the health and well-being of all Californians; keep schools open for in-person instruction and allow California’s economy to remain open and thrive, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is requiring masks be worn in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, for the next four weeks (December 15, 2021, through January 15, 2022), stated local officials.”

The precautionary measure is intended to protect the health of the public as health officials continue to learn more about the Omicron variant, and an additional layer of protection during the holidays when people tend to travel more and spend more time gathering indoors.

Statewide hospitalizations have also increased in recent weeks, and appropriate masking can help slow community transmission enough to keep vulnerable populations out of the hospital, thereby helping keep hospital services readily available to everyone who needs them.

There is mounting evidence of the effectiveness of masks when worn correctly. According to the CDPH “Nationally, during the Delta surge in July and August 2021, jurisdictions without mask requirements in schools experienced larger increases in pediatric case rates, and school outbreaks were 3.5 times more likely in areas without school mask requirements.”

The Kings County Department of Public Health does not plan to issue any additional local requirements or more restrictive face-covering guidance than the State at this time. A summary of current face-covering guidance, tips, and links to additional information can be found on www.kcdph.com/COVID19.

Mega Events Vaccine Status/Testing

Effective December 15, testing for Mega Events is required to be conducted within one day for antigen tests and within two days for PCR tests prior to entry into the facility or venue for those that cannot provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status.

Mega Events are defined as crowds greater than 1,000 attendees for indoors, and 10,000 attendees outdoors. Proof of vaccine verification/negative test is required for indoor mega events and recommended for outdoor mega events.

Travel Advisory

The State is also issuing the following recommendations, which supersede all prior Travel Advisories:

The Kings County Department of Public Health continues to urge the public to take all COVID-19 prevention measures appropriate for them: