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 (11/1/24-3/31/25).
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.
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.
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.
In alignment with many other Bay Area health jurisdictions, staff and other workers in the following health care facilities in Alameda County and the City of Berkeley will be required to wear masks in patient care areas from 11/1/24 through 3/31/25:
This Order does not require others to mask in these settings, although masks are strongly recommended for everyone in ALL health care settings.
In general, 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.
- Licensed General and Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals
- Licensed Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)
- Licensed Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities
- Dialysis Clinics and Infusion Clinics
This Order does not require others to mask in these settings, although masks are strongly recommended for everyone in ALL health care settings.
In general, 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.
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?
- 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
