Masks no longer required indoors
By José A. Álvarez
County of San Diego Communications Office
(March 2, 2022) The County is following new guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and masks are no longer required in most indoor settings.
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.
Specific high-risk settings will continue to require that everyone wear face coverings. These include health care, long-term care and detention facilities, as well as transit hubs and public transit, cooling centers and emergency shelters.
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.
EDITOR’S NOTE: While cases of COVID-19 have decreased drastically this year, the virus is far from gone. Still, the decrease is significant. For instance, the County of San Diego reports 4,601 cases were reported in the week of Feb. 23 through March 1 compared to 6,383 infections identified the previous week (Feb. 16 through Feb. 22). In one day, 952 COVID-19 cases were reported to the County on March 1. The region’s total of COVID-19 cases recorded since the County began keeping track is now 739,176. Sadly, the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the county now stands at 5,045.
Locally, a total of 4,507 cases were recorded in the 92131 ZIP Code area of Scripps Ranch as of March 2. Total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Scripps Ranch remains at 13, according to the County. Scripps Ranch residents who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination was reported to be 32,506 out of a population of 36,090, which is a rate of 950.9 out of every 1,000 residents, according to the County of San Diego.