The County of San Diego is following new guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and masks are no longer required in most indoor settings.
The CDPH discontinued the mask mandate March 1, but is strongly recommending that people continue wearing masks indoors regardless of their vaccination status.
Also, starting on March 12, K-12 schools and child care settings will no longer require masks indoors.
CDPH Updates as of February 28:
- Effective March 1, 2022 , the requirement that unvaccinated individuals mask in indoor public settings will move to a strong recommendation that all persons, regardless of vaccine status, continue indoor masking.
- Universal masking shall remain required in specified high-risk settings. These include health care, long-term care, and detention facilities, as well as transit hubs and public transit, cooling centers and emergency shelters.
- After March 11, 2022, the universal masking requirement for K-12 and Childcare settings will terminate. CDPH strongly recommends that individuals in these settings continue to mask in indoor settings when the universal masking requirement lifts.
Local businesses have the discretion to follow the new guidance or continue requiring masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. Also, San Diegans can choose to wear a mask at any time.
County Cases, Hospitalizations, Case Rates, and Testing:
- 4,601 cases were reported in the past week (Feb. 23 through March 1) compared to 6,383 infections identified the previous week (Feb. 16 through Feb. 22).
- During the 30-day period between Jan. 18, 2022 and Feb. 16, 2022, there were 1,220 COVID-19 hospitalizations; 683 people were not fully vaccinated, 337 were fully vaccinated and 200 were fully vaccinated and boosted.
- San Diego County’s case rate per 100,000 residents 12 years of age and older is 28.8 for people fully vaccinated and boosted, 30.9 for fully vaccinated people and 72.2 for not fully vaccinated San Diegans.
- 2,820 tests were reported to the County on Feb. 27, 2022, and the percentage of new positive cases was 6.8%.
- The 14-day rolling percentage of positive cases among tests reported through Feb. 27, 2022 is 5.4%.
