Marin County, California, has made wearing a face mask until March 2024 a requirement. This is an effort to prevent the spread of diseases, especially COVID-19. The health order, which applies to everyone going into hospitals, stresses how important face masks are, even if you haven’t been vaccinated.
Recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the number of COVID-19 cases has been higher in states across the Great Lakes and northern Midwest. There have been arguments around the world about how effective face masks are, but in August, the Royal Society in the UK released a full review that clearly showed how effective they are at lowering COVID-19 infections.
However, this preventative step has been criticized by a number of well-known Republicans. For example, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed a rule that says government agencies can’t make people wear masks in the state. Marin County’s choice, on the other hand, is in line with its dedication to public health.
There are possible punishments for not following the rules, such as misdemeanors or jail time. County officials made it clear that the order’s goals are to protect people in high-risk healthcare situations and stop the spread of respiratory viruses like COVID-19, RSV, and influenza.
“The intent of the order is to protect individuals in these high-risk healthcare settings and limit the spread of seasonal respiratory viruses,” said Marin County officials. The rule applies to everyone in places where patients are cared for, except for kids younger than 6 and people with good medical reasons.
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While Marin County reiterates its dedication to public health, other California cities and towns, like Huntington Beach, have taken a different stand and will no longer allow masks after a lengthy city council meeting.
This year, temporary mask laws have been put in place in some U.S. areas, but a federal mask law is still not likely to happen. Officials say that wearing masks will still be a personal choice, just like other ways to stay healthy, like getting vaccinated, checking yourself at home, and getting treatments.
As of September, Jeff Nesbit, who is the assistant secretary for public affairs for health and human services, said again, “To be clear, the rumors of a federal mask mandate are not true.” The main goal is still to give people a variety of tools they can use to stay safe from COVID-19.