Oakland, CA – The City of Oakland’s ordinance requiring anyone attending large indoor events (2,500+ attendees) to wear a mask will expire on November 1, 2022.
Patrons entering City facilities, including libraries, City senior centers, senior adult care facilities, recreation centers, and civic center buildings, are still required to wear a mask. Public health guidelines issued by the State of California and Alameda County Public Health department strongly recommend that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, continue to wear masks indoors to protect against exposure or spread of COVID-19. The CDC published the findings of a study in February 2022 that shows the use of a mask in indoor settings protects against COVID-19 by lowering the odds of testing positive by as much as 83%.
While no longer mandated, these public health best practices protect our community, particularly our most vulnerable residents, from COVID-19. Under State law, businesses and facilities are allowed to impose masking requirements to enter their establishments regardless of any related State or County health order. Due to their effectiveness, the City of Oakland continues to require patrons and employees to wear masks in its indoor facilities.
In order to protect seniors, an age group especially susceptible to the harm of COVID-19, City ordinance still requires people entering senior centers and assisted living facilities to show proof of vaccination.
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