Alameda County is aligned with state masking guidance for the general public. Staff and visitor masking is strongly recommended in patient care areas of licensed general acute care hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, dialysis centers, and infusion centers during winter respiratory virus season (November 1 – March 31) and other periods of increased respiratory virus activity.
COVID-19 continues to circulate in our communities. COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses pose the greatest risk for severe disease to those over 65 years of age and persons with certain health issues. But, anyone who gets COVID-19 can develop long COVID.
When people wear a mask correctly, they protect others as well as themselves. Some people should not wear a mask, such as children younger than 2 and people with certain medical conditions or disabilities.
Masking guidance for persons with COVID-19, or who have been exposed, can be found on the Isolation page.
Some employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard and should consult those regulations for applicable masking requirements.
