Stanislaus County issues new mask guidance as COVID-19 cases surge
Stanislaus County officials released updated mask-wearing advice for residents as the Delta variant pushes a rise in COVID-19 illness.
“With this highly infectious Delta variant spreading, fully vaccinated people may want the extra protection of wearing a mask indoors,” a county Health Services Agency press release said Monday.
County public health recommended that older people and those with risk factors should wear a mask in indoor public settings, even if they are vaccinated. Masks are recommended for people 65 or older and for those who live with an older person in that age group.
County residents who have a health condition or take medication that lowers their immune system are advised to wear a mask in stores and other indoor settings in public.
The state requires all unvaccinated people leaving home to wear a mask in public indoor situations, and everyone to wear masks in situations including public transit, health care and youth settings.
Monday’s recommendation came out as data shows an increase of coronavirus transmission in Stanislaus County. The county stopped short of recommending that all vaccinated people wear a mask for additional protection.
Slightly more than a month ago, state health officials said people could resume most normal activities that they enjoyed before the coronavirus pandemic, in coordination with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But counties in California have been returning to mask recommendations as cases of COVID-19 quickly multiply. Los Angeles, the state’s largest county, imposed a mask requirement over the weekend. Health officials in the Bay Area also recommended the wearing of masks, though it is not a requirement there.
In Stanislaus County, the daily count of new cases was in the 30s early last week but climbed to 91 on Friday. Test positivity is now 4 percent — the highest level in weeks and about even with a statewide rate that has quadrupled since June.
The county Health Services Agency also urged eligible residents to get vaccinated, which is considered the best defense against the Delta variant or catching a serious case of COVID-19. Vaccines are available for anyone age 12 and older.
Officials said 45 percent of county residents who are eligible for the COVID vaccine are fully vaccinated. Most adolescents and adults in the county are at risk of becoming ill with COVID-19, the county’s press release said.
The county health agency said the vaccines protect against the Delta strain but not quite as much as the protection against the coronavirus strains that circulated last year. The news release said no vaccine is 100 percent protective.
Kamlesh Kaur, a spokesperson for county public health, said vaccinated people can still contract the coronavirus illness. The vaccine has proven to be effective in preventing severe illness and hospitalization.
A person who tests positive for COVID-19, whether they are vaccinated or not, should isolate at home for at least 10 days after the first appearance of symptoms and for another 24 hours after recovery, Kaur said.
Someone who is vaccinated can pass the virus to people who are not vaccinated.
The county has a schedule of vaccine clinics every week. Tuesday, free clinics will be held for county residents at The Well Community Church, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 2500 Claus Road in Modesto and from 2 p.m to 7 p.m. at Wakefield Elementary School, 400 South Avenue, Turlock.
Wednesday, a vaccine clinic at the Modesto Junior College East Campus, 435 College Ave., will run from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Another clinic will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cunningham Elementary School, 324 W. Linwood Ave. in Turlock.
The county has a Public Health Immunization Clinic, at 401 Paradise Road in Modesto, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
More information on vaccine clinics is listed at www.schsa.org. Vaccine appointments can be scheduled at MyTurn.ca.gov or by calling (833) 540-0473.
This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 12:53 PM.
