Alameda County Health Care Services Public Health Department site

When You Need to Wear a Mask

Masking in indoor public spaces and businesses is required

Requirements

Health Officer Orders

Indoor Face Masking Mandate (Order number corrected) (21-06)
Amendment to Masking Order for Limited Indoor Settings (21-04) - RESCINDED
Order Rescinding Amendment Allowing for Indoor Masking Exemptions (21-04a)

Alameda County's local face covering order remains in effect.

Mask Metrics

Criteria for Lifting Indoor Masking

Other Settings

Strong Recommendations for Everyone

Health Officer Order 21-06 Face Covering FAQ: English | Arabic | Chinese (Traditional) | Farsi | Khmer | Korean | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese

Get the Most out of Masking

While California is fully open, the risk of COVID-19 is still present, especially for those who are not fully vaccinated against the virus. When people wear a mask correctly, they protect others as well as themselves.

Everyone 2 years of age and older must continue to wear a mask, regardless of their vaccination status, in all indoor public settings and businesses.

Some people should not wear a mask, such as children younger than 2 and people with certain medical conditions or disabilities which you can learn more at: covid19.ca.gov/masks-and-ppe/.

Translations of Health Officer Order Mandating Masking Indoors (Effective Aug. 3, 2021): Arabic | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) | English | Farsi | Khmer | Korean | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese

Settings where everyone regardless of vaccination status, MUST wear a mask

Indoors at business, government office, and workplace settings that are open to the public
On planes, trains, buses, ferries, taxis and ride-shares, and all other forms of public transport
In transportation hubs like airports, bus terminals, train stations, marinas, seaports or other ports,
subway stations, or any other area that provides transportation.
Healthcare settings
State and local correctional facilities and detention centers
Shelters and cooling centers
Indoors at any youth-serving facility (such as K-12 schools, childcare, day camps, etc.)

Bay Area Health Officers' Criteria for Lifting Indoor Masking Requirements

The jurisdiction reaches the moderate (yellow) COVID-19 transmission tier, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and remains there for at least three weeks; AND
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the jurisdiction are low and stable, in the judgment of the health officer; AND
80% of the jurisdiction’s total population is fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson (booster doses not considered) OR Eight weeks have passed since a COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for emergency use by federal and state authorities for 5- to 11-year-olds

Monitor progress on these metrics on the dashboard

Strong recommendations for everyone

Unvaccinated and not fully vaccinated people are strongly encouraged to wear a mask in outdoor crowded settings, especially if you don't know the vaccination status of those around you. Everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a mask in non-public indoor settings, like a private residence, when you are around people who may be unvaccinated.

While fully vaccinated people are well-protected from severe illness due to variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, they may get asymptomatic or mild infections. To protect everyone, wear a mask to help slow the spread of the virus.