Alameda County is aligned with state masking guidance except as required
by local Order for Staff in patient care areas of Acute Care Hospitals,
Psychiatric Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Dialysis Centers, and Infusion Centers.
by local Order for Staff in patient care areas of Acute Care Hospitals,
Psychiatric Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Dialysis Centers, and Infusion Centers.
COVID-19 continues to circulate in our communities. COVID-19 poses the greatest risk for severe disease to those over 65 years of age and persons with certain health issues, including pregnancy. But, anyone who gets COVID-19 can develop long COVID.
Persons 2 years of age and older may want to continue masking in indoor public settings and businesses, even when the County COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level is Low. 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 and Quarantine page.
"Mask Season Is Here" Flyer (11/30/23): English | Amharic | Arabic | Burmese | Cambodian | Chinese (Traditional) | Dari | Farsi | Hindi | Korean | Mongolian | Pashto | Punjabi | Spanish | Tagalog | Tigrinya | Vietnamese
Persons 2 years of age and older may want to continue masking in indoor public settings and businesses, even when the County COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level is Low. 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 and Quarantine page.
"Mask Season Is Here" Flyer (11/30/23): English | Amharic | Arabic | Burmese | Cambodian | Chinese (Traditional) | Dari | Farsi | Hindi | Korean | Mongolian | Pashto | Punjabi | Spanish | Tagalog | Tigrinya | Vietnamese
- Beginning November 1, 2023, Staff in Acute Care Hospitals, Psychiatric Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Dialysis Centers, and Infusion Centers are required to wear a mask in patient care areas.
- In workplaces, employers and employees are subject to either the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations or the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) Standard and should consult those regulations for applicable masking requirements.
- When required by any business, government office, health care facility, adult or senior care facility, youth-serving facility, transport operator or transportation hub, or other entity.
You can choose to wear a mask, especially if you answer yes to any of the following:
- Are you over age 65 or have health issues that puts you at risk for a severe case of COVID-19?
- Are you missing your most recent recommended COVID-19 vaccine dose?
- Do you live/visit with people at risk of going to the hospital if they get COVID-19?
- Do you go to work or interact with the public regularly?
- Is the COVID-19 Hospital Admission Level High where you live, in your social group, or where you are going?
- Do you feel safer with a mask?
- When and Why to Wear a Mask (CDPH)
- Guidance for using masks (CDC)
- Types of Masks and Respirators (CDC)
- Guidance for N95 Respirators (CDC)
- Masks Required for Entry Posters: English | Arabic | Burmese | Dari | Farsi | Hindi | Khmer | Korean | Mongolian | Pashto | Punjabi | Spanish | Tagalog | Tigrinya | Traditional Chinese | Vietnamese