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 Additionally, the requirement will be put in place annually unless otherwise rescinded.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 ...
Another speed trap situation.
Not this crap again? And the sheep still follow the Judas goat to the abattoir?
Go F yourself!
Please don’t articulate any of your rude thoughts in a public forum. They can be easily misinterpreted and reflect poorly in all of us. I got what you meant I think, but just saying....
The face under the mask naturally communicates in so many ways more that mere words.
“greater risk” claim probably based on the nonsensical covid-19 virus count in sewage, which has been proven NOT to correlate with either the number of symptomatic covid-19 cases or the number of covid-19 hospitalizations ...
Yup
Indeed.
It -really- messed with the minds of my dogs, as well.
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