Mono County Issues Indoor Mask Order Following Increase in Local COVID-19 Cases
August 3, 2021 – Dr. Richard O. Johnson, Acting Public Health Officer for Mono County, has issued a Local Health Order (Order) requiring the use of face coverings (masks) for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents and visitors within indoor public spaces in Mono County and the Town of Mammoth Lakes. The Order goes into effect on Friday, August 6, and is in response to increasing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases locally and statewide, coupled with the added concerns of the Delta variant, as well as a number of “breakthrough” cases (positive COVID-19 cases in fully vaccinated individuals).
“During the last six weeks, increased interactions among members of the public have resulted in an increased number of daily new COVID-19 cases in Mono County, with case rates more than quadrupling since reopening on June 15,” said Bryan Wheeler, Mono County Director of Public Health. “Community transmission of COVID-19 within Mono County is now considered Substantial by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicators, and we anticipate the rate to continue to increase over the coming days and weeks.”
The Order specifically states that “All persons within Mono County and the Town of Mammoth Lakes, regardless of vaccination status, shall wear face coverings while in public, indoor spaces.”
A number of counties have issued similar Orders in the past few weeks, including many of Mono County’s drive market counties such as Los Angeles County. In addition, both the CDC and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently recommended that unvaccinated and fully vaccinated individuals wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of Substantial or High transmission.
The official Order can be accessed here. In addition, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team will be hosting a COVID-19 Community Conversation on Thursday, August 5th at 5:30pm to provide an update on the pandemic in Mono County. Details can be accessed here.
Mono County residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the California Department of Public Health’s My Turn website at myturn.ca.gov to schedule local COVID-19 vaccination appointments, or visit an upcoming Mono County Walk-In Clinic (https://coronavirus.monocounty.ca.gov/pages/vaccinations). Mammoth Hospital, Vons, and Rite Aid have all joined in the vaccination effort, and appointments are available via My Turn. In addition to the My Turn website, appointments can be made directly with medical providers and at Mammoth Hospital.
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