Riverside County Awaits State Update On Face Masks

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that fully vaccinated people can quit wearing face masks in most situations, but Riverside County is first awaiting word from the state on updated guidelines before implementing any measures.

All California counties are in the same boat.

"We are awaiting state guidelines on masks in wake of the CDC recommendations," Riverside County spokesperson Brooke Federico confirmed Friday afternoon.

Thursday's new mask guidance from the CDC stated, "Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance."

California has stricter guidelines in place. The California Department of Public Health's latest mask update issued May 3 states, "For fully vaccinated persons, face coverings are not required outdoors except when attending crowded outdoor events ... . In indoor settings outside of one's home ... face coverings continue to be required regardless of vaccination status," except when visiting with other "fully vaccinated people in indoor or outdoor settings."

Fully vaccinated people can go maskless and forgo social distancing with unvaccinated people — indoors or out — but only when visiting with people "from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease ...," according to the CDPH.

By June 15, federal and state officials might be in sync. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom told Los Angeles Fox TV affiliate KTTV that on that mid-June date, masks will only be required in "massively large," dense indoor settings "where people around the world ... are convening. Otherwise, we'll make guidance recommendations but no mandates, ... no restrictions on businesses large and small," he said.

State officials announced in April that COVID-19 safety restrictions will be lifted on all businesses by June 15, assuming continued vaccine availability and no spikes in coronavirus hospitalizations.

California also plans to do away with its four-tiered, color-coded COVID-19 risk assessment system known as the Blueprint for a Safer Economy on that date.

State public health officials chose June 15 because it comes two months after the state opened up vaccine eligibility to all Californians 16 and older.

As of Friday, more than 1.8 million vaccinations have been administered in Riverside County, according to Riverside University Health System. The RUHS data show that 38.2 percent of county residents 16 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Riverside County Department of Public Health Director Kim Saruwatari told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that 62 percent of county residents 65 years and older have been fully vaccinated.

Riverside County health officials announced Thursday that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is now available to children 12 and older. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration previously announced it had expanded emergency use authorization of the vaccine for kids 12 through 15 years of age.

As part of the expanded use, the FDA issued a fact sheet about vaccination in kids 12 and older. Read it here.

According to the county, the expanded eligibility impacts more than 140,000 Riverside County youngsters.

The Pfizer dosing regimen is the same for all ages: a series of two shots, three weeks apart.

To make a vaccination appointment in Riverside County, click www.rivcoph.org/covid-19-vaccine. Those needing assistance to make an appointment can call 2-1-1 or 951-358-5000.

Anyone under 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to get vaccinated.

The Moderna and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are available to those 18 years and older.

Latest COVID-19 numbers for Riverside County

According to RUHS, 66 people countywide were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, three higher than one week ago. Friday's figure includes 15 intensive care unit patients, two fewer than a week ago.

The total number of COVID cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 ticked up to 299,565 on Friday, an increase of 501 cases over the one-week period, according to RUHS data.

The number of deaths due to virus-related complications was reported at 4,594 — seven higher than a week ago.

The coronavirus positivity rate in Riverside County is now at 1.6 percent, down from 1.9 percent last week, while the state-adjusted case rate is 2.7 new cases per 100,000 residents, based on a rolling seven-day average, compared to 3.4 cases per 100,000 residents last week.

The state updates case and positivity rates each Tuesday.

Under the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework, Riverside County remains in the orange tier.