Recent changes in CDC and CDPH guidance and some County Public Health Orders have required a reassessment of UC ANR's Mask Protocol.
- Over the past two weeks, several County Public Health Officers have recommended all persons wear masks indoors, especially in situations where the vaccination status of others is not known. A few counties, including Los Angeles, Sacramento and Yolo have issued Public Health Orders requiring face coverings for everyone in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status.
- On July 27, the CDC issued new face covering guidance, recommending that vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas of substantial or high transmission. These CDC transmission tiers are based on COVID-19 case rates in each county. Currently, 46 of California's 58 counties meet the CDC criteria for recommending masks for all persons.
- On July 28, CDPH updated its mask guidance, recommending that fully vaccinated people also wear a mask in indoor public settings across California.
Based on these evolving public health recommendations and orders, and in compliance with University of California systemwide COVID-19 safety standards, we are updating our mask guidance as follows:
UCANR employees, volunteers, and program participants must wear a mask while working indoors or when sharing vehicles with others for work in the following conditions or locations:
- persons who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19
- all persons, regardless of vaccination status, at work locations in counties which are experiencing substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, based on the CDC COVID data tracker. Currently 46 of California's 58 counties are in the substantial or high transmission tier.
- all persons at work locations in counties which are subject to a state or local Public Health Order requiring all persons to wear a mask indoors.
In general, masks are not required outdoors by CDC, CDPH, or other local guidance. Current data suggest the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in outdoor settings is minimal. People may choose to wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings if they or someone in their household is immunocompromised.
All UC ANR locations should be prepared for a return to mask requirements and/or other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). Make sure you have masks available at the worksite for employees, volunteers and visitors. Supplies are available from UC ANR Risk & Safety Services. Monitor the COVID-19 conditions in your local area, through the CDC COVID Data Tracker or your county's COVID-19 website. Post signs at the facility indicating the site-specific mask requirements (example signs are available on our Reopening website). Please consider mask requirements when planning programming or activities – move activities outside if feasible – or consider meeting online in areas where masks are required indoors. Also, consider mask requirements when managing the return of employees to the workplace, or in balancing in-person and remote work schedules.
Brian Oatman
Director, Risk & Safety Services