Masks required in well being care settings for all well being care employees in Bay Space counties

As you set away these zombie masks and Halloween decorations, it is likely to be a superb time to drag out that field of surgical or KN95 face masks once more as respiratory virus season will get underway, particularly in case you are headed to the physician’s workplace quickly.

In Santa Clara County, everybody — sufferers, caregivers and healthcare suppliers — will probably be required to put on face masks in public affected person care areas in hospitals, clinics, and long run care services for the “winter respiratory virus interval,” beginning Nov. 1 and lasting 5 months by the top of March.

Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa, and Sonoma counties would require well being care employees to masks up in affected person care areas beginning Wednesday, after native public well being officers handed mandates earlier this fall requiring seasonal masking guidelines.

As respiratory virus season beneficial properties steam, well being officers say it’s a good suggestion to test shares of speedy COVID checks. Customers would possibly nonetheless be eligible for one more supply of free COVID checks from the federal authorities. The Biden administration resurrected this system as of Sep. 25, and should you haven’t but you possibly can request a cargo of 4 speedy at-home checks by the USPS web site.

In California, COVID positivity charges had been on the rise beginning in July, and peaked in late August. In September the positivity price began to return again down, however plateaued in mid-October at simply above 6%. It has risen a bit since then.