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Mask mandates return in wealthy blue state county, leaders cite 'risk of COVID' and up vaccine recommendations (California)
Fox News ^ | 10/08/25 | Alec Schemmel

Posted on 10/09/2025 1:59:56 AM PDT by Libloather

A county in California wine country is beefing up its vaccine recommendations and instituting a mask mandate, citing "greater risk" of contracting COVID-19 amid the start of the annual flu season.

The Sonoma County Department of Public Health's Interim Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith issued an order Monday requiring anyone entering certain healthcare facilities in the county to wear a mask. Facilities subject to the order include skilled nursing facilities, portions of long-term care facilities where nursing care is provided, acute and non-acute rehabilitation facilities, infusion centers, and dialysis centers, according to the order.

"The rationale behind this order is to protect the most vulnerable populations (such as the elderly and cancer patients) and to try to prevent medical staff from getting sick and creating staffing problems for facilities," a spokesperson for the Sonoma County Department of Health told Fox News Digital.

The mask mandate will run from Nov. 1 until March 31, 2026, and the order states that Smith can expand the type of facilities subject to it on an as-needed basis. Additionally, the requirement will be put in place annually unless otherwise rescinded.

The order does provide some exemptions, including anyone "with a diagnosed medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents the individual from wearing a face mask." Hearing impaired folks who must see the mouth to communicate are also exempt, as well as anyone else for whom local, state or federal regulators deem could be harmed from wearing one.

The order also dictates what masks must be worn. A surgical mask, KN95, KF94, or N95 respirator are acceptable, but more informal masks, such as a scarf, ski mask, balaclava, bandana, turtleneck, collar, cloth mask, or "any mask that has an unfiltered, one-way exhaust valve," will not satisfy the order's requirements.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; Health/Medicine; Local News
KEYWORDS: california; covid; foolmeonce; mandate; mandates; mask; maskmonkeys; scamdemic; shamdemic; vaccine
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To: Libloather
Folks, we’re at war with the rats.

This is one of the weapons they are using.

21 posted on 10/09/2025 3:15:59 AM PDT by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump)
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To: Salamander

Me too


22 posted on 10/09/2025 3:18:14 AM PDT by Fai Mao ( I used to care, but things have changed ~ Bob Dylan)
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To: Libloather

You MUST wear a mask!

Unless you happen to be federal law enforcement, in which case, you MUST NOT wear a mask.

Yeah, makes sense to me.


23 posted on 10/09/2025 3:21:10 AM PDT by jimjohn (We're at war, people. Start acting like it.)
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To: Libloather

Masks DO NOT work.
Masks are dangerous to your health.
Masks limit your oxygen intake.
Masks force you to inhale the CO2 you are exhaling.
Masks are dangerous for trees - you are stealing the CO2 food they need. (listed for the enviro wackos)


24 posted on 10/09/2025 3:21:15 AM PDT by newfreep ("There is no race problem...just a problem race")
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To: Libloather

:: Wear a mask. ::

But, if you believe YOUR masks works, why should I wear a mask near and around you?
I am not responsible for the failures of your control measures.


25 posted on 10/09/2025 3:33:07 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (The Democrats' official policy is now, “Hate, Violence and Murder". Change my mind.)
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To: exnavy

Those aren’t masks.

They’re muzzles.


26 posted on 10/09/2025 3:36:17 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
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To: Libloather

There’s an idiot born every minute


27 posted on 10/09/2025 3:41:44 AM PDT by albie
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To: Libloather

Warning on back of N95 package:

This mask does not stop viruses!

Brain dead people wear them.


28 posted on 10/09/2025 3:42:56 AM PDT by Mlheureux
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To: toddausauras

If a regular mask is like using a fence with 4’ x 8’ holes to stop a marble, a N95 mask is like using a fence with 2’ x 2’ holes to stop a marble....


29 posted on 10/09/2025 3:59:04 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
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To: Libloather

Masks don’t work to prevent transmission of airborne upper respiratory viruses.
Never have, never will. Not even N-95 masks.
There’s not a smidgen of evidence they do, just opinion and anecdotes, which are NOT evidence.
Prove me wrong.


30 posted on 10/09/2025 4:16:36 AM PDT by normbal (normbal. Non-native Tennessean.)
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To: toddausauras

M95 masks, which are normally three for $10, got up to $1,000 each on eBay at the height of the pandemic in July of 2020.


31 posted on 10/09/2025 4:50:39 AM PDT by PUGACHEV
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To: Libloather; Jane Long; ransomnote; SecAmndmt; Jan_Sobieski; Roman_War_Criminal; ...

Am I supposed to be impressed somehow, or take it more seriously because *wealthy blue state county leaders* are Covid fear mongers who want to control everyone?


32 posted on 10/09/2025 4:53:48 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: mewzilla

“Those aren’t masks. They’re muzzles.”

Best answer/description ever. I only wish I’d said it then but I’ll be quoting you from now on.


33 posted on 10/09/2025 4:56:05 AM PDT by EandH Dad (sleeping giants wake up REALLY grumpy)
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To: jimjohn

> Unless you happen to be federal law enforcement, in which case, you MUST NOT wear a mask.<

Sonoma County is a perfect staging area for ICE.

EC


34 posted on 10/09/2025 4:56:55 AM PDT by Ex-Con777 (Leftists quote the Constitution like an atheist quotes the Bible)
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To: HIDEK6

EXACTLY.


35 posted on 10/09/2025 4:58:28 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: metmom
I, for one, am truly impressed at the eagerness with which locals here choose to display their status under the 'true pandemic'.


36 posted on 10/09/2025 5:06:32 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 "/!i!! &@$%&*(@ -')
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To: EandH Dad

Said that way back when it started, the first time a store employee asked why I was bare faced.

“ Why do I need to wear a muzzle? I haven’t bitten anyone
yet”.

That shut em right up.

Later I started wearing my horrifying Grim Reaper skeletal biker bandanna, dark glasses and a creepy hoodie with The Walking Dead shirts that had We’re All Infected and INFECTED on them.

They did not like that either.

There’s just no pleasing some people.

I am a shameless instigator.

/has been outrun Walmart DEI security rent-a-cops and once chased a soy boy through the dairy department because he screamed in terror.

Good times.

😜


37 posted on 10/09/2025 5:12:24 AM PDT by Salamander (Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRD)
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To: metmom
In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Mask mandates return in wealthy blue state county, leaders cite 'risk of COVID' and up vaccine recommendations (California), metmom wrote:

Am I supposed to be impressed somehow, or take it more seriously because *wealthy blue state county leaders* are Covid fear mongers who want to control everyone?

Don't we all pine to mimic those intellectual and cultural role models? /s


38 posted on 10/09/2025 5:38:24 AM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: Libloather

What it really communicates is that they hate the air. Mostly because they can’t control who is sharing it, yet...


39 posted on 10/09/2025 5:42:52 AM PDT by blackdog ((Z28.310) "Diggin the scene with a gangster lean" (Mayfield, Curtis) )
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To: blackdog

A small trash bag on their head would prevent them from having to share.

Just sayin.


40 posted on 10/09/2025 5:53:59 AM PDT by Salamander (Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRD)
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