Masks are Back in Alameda County
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the store without a mask.
The Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) issued a statement last Thursday requiring the use of masks when visiting most indoor public settings like grocery stores, restaurants, and offices.
The number of daily reported COVID-19 cases spiked to more than 10,000 over the Memorial Day weekend, which is drastically higher than the average of 100 daily cases reported during Memorial Day weekend last year and even during the peak of last summer’s Delta wave. Reported cases are an underestimate of the total due to home testing and unidentified infections, health officials added.
As a result, health officials say hospitalizations are also rising after remaining stable during the early weeks of this wave. Daily new admissions of patients with COVID-19 rapidly increased in recent days and now exceed last summer’s peak. Alameda County Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss now expects the county to reach CDC’s “High” COVID-19 Community Level soon, given current trends.
“Rising COVID cases in Alameda County are now leading to more people being hospitalized and our action reflects the seriousness of the moment,” Dr. Moss said. “We cannot ignore the data, and we can’t predict when this wave may end. Putting our masks back on gives us the best opportunity to limit the impact of a prolonged wave on our communities.”
The other major concern by health officials is that communities of color are now getting even sicker because of the increased spread of COVID-19. Hispanic and Latino residents now have the highest case rate in Alameda County among the largest race and ethnicity groups.
Throughout the pandemic, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a/x, and Pacific Islander residents have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, according to Kimi Watkins-Tartt, Director of AC HCSA’s Public Health Department. These same communities have historically experienced health disparities and the pandemic revealed and exacerbated those issues. Alameda County is committed to mitigating COVID-19 disparities where possible.
To date, there have been 290,835 cases of COVID-19 in Alameda County and 1,893 deaths related to the disease, according to publicly released ACPHD data. San Leandro has recorded 17,590 cases since March 2020 while Castro Valley has accumulated 15,997 cases.
“We are seeing the same pattern of disproportionate impact on hard-hit communities play out again with rising cases,” said Watkins-Tartt. “Many Black and Brown residents are frontline workers who can’t work from home and are in workplaces where they frequently interact with the public. A masking order will limit the spread of COVID in these vulnerable communities.”
Alameda County will not require masking in K-12 school settings through the end of the 2021-22 school year, but masking is still strongly recommended. Masks will be required in all other children and youth settings, including childcare, summer school, and youth programs, as practicable.
In addition to masking, residents are reminded to continue taking other steps to limit the spread of COVID-19: stay home if sick or positive; test if symptomatic or exposed and keep gatherings small and outdoors or increase ventilation if gathering indoors.