Sonoma County Health Officer issues order requiring health care facility staff to wear masks

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Given the rising risk of respiratory virus-related illnesses, such as COVID and flu, Sonoma County’s Interim Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith has issued an order requiring health care personnel to mask when in patient care areas. The health order will be in effect throughout the remaining respiratory virus season, from Nov. 18 through April 30.

Regardless of vaccination status, all personnel in patient care areas of health care facilities must wear a face mask through the duration of this order. Additionally, all businesses and governmental entities with health care delivery facilities must enforce this face mask requirement for all personnel entering patient care areas within the health care delivery facility.

“Each year, we see that higher rates of influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses that can cause severe respiratory infections occur between late fall and spring,” said Dr. Karen Smith, Sonoma County’s interim health officer. “Influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses infect tens of millions in the United States each year and can result in serious medical outcomes, including hospitalizations and death.”

Since at least 2017, Sonoma County has required that all health care facilities establish an influenza vaccination program requiring health care workers providing direct patient care receive an annual influenza vaccine or wear a mask. The order applied to every influenza season thereafter until 2023 when, in recognition that the risk posed by co-circulation of multiple respiratory viruses is not fully mitigated by influenza vaccination, the health order introduced a new requirement for the use of face masks by staff in health care delivery facilities. The 2024 health order maintains this requirement that all staff be masked when in patient care areas of health care facilities.

The order applies to staff at health care facilities including hospitals, clinics, surgery centers, infusion centers, dialysis centers, skilled nursing facilities, portions of long-term care facilities where nursing care is provided, and other facilities where patient care is provided indoors.

Dr. Smith also included guidance for the general public, strongly recommending that everyone 6 months and older get updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and RSV vaccines if they are eligible, to protect against potentially serious outcomes of respiratory illness this winter.

“Vaccination remains the best protection against respiratory virus infections,” said Dr. Smith, who also recommends that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings when the COVID or influenza risk in Sonoma County is high.

Dr. Smith issued the health order in light of the fact that patients and residents in health care and congregate facilities — especially young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions — are at greater risk for respiratory virus-related hospitalizations and death. Workers in direct care, health care and congregate facilities are also at risk for respiratory illness and can transmit the viruses to their clients, patients and coworkers. Moreover, respiratory virus-related illness in health care workers can cause absenteeism, placing further strain on limited health care resources.

“The co-occurrence of influenza season with a likelihood of another late fall/winter surge of COVID-19 may increase the risk of our health systems being overwhelmed with patients with critical respiratory illness,” Dr. Smith said.

The full text and details of the health order can be found here.

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Sheri Cardo, DHS Communications Specialist
sheri.cardo@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-8619