CA Capitol Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California state Capitol restored its mask mandate this week after nine new cases of coronavirus were reported among workers last week, according to multiple reports.

All legislators will be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status following news of the outbreak. In Tuesday memos, Senate Erika Contreras and Assembly Chief Administrative Officer Debra Gravert ordered employees to wear face coverings inside the Capitol, Legislative Office Building and district offices, the Sacramento Bee Reported.

Unvaccinated workers will also be required to get a test for coronavirus twice a week beginning July 8 in the Capitol, the newspaper reported.

Read more from the Sacramento Bee: Mask mandate back at California Capitol after outbreak of nine new COVID cases

The mandate was reinstated less than a month after the state threw out most of its masking rules and reopened its Capitol. The news also comes as recent data showed the rising prevalence of the highly transmissible delta variant.

The mutation accounted for almost 36 percent of the coronavirus cases detected in June — a huge uptick from 5.6 percent sequenced in May, according to data from the state released this week. The rising case numbers are already threatening the Golden State's progress in ending the pandemic and pose a risk for those who are unvaccinated.

Dr. Tomás Aragón, the state's public health officer, said he expected delta cases to keep rising.

"We are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and its variants across our state. COVID-19 has not gone away. If you are not vaccinated, you are still at risk," he said in a statement on Friday.

READ MORE: Delta Variant Now Dominant In CA, New Data Shows