San Francisco and Marin counties Friday lifted indoor mask mandates in certain settings, including gyms and offices.
The revised guidance applies to indoor venues with fewer than 100 people, and all must be fully vaccinated. Offices, gyms, religious gatherings and indoor college classes that meet those parameters are among the settings where people can ditch the mask.
The venues also must have proper ventilation, no recent COVID-19 outbreaks and no children under 12 years old.
Masks are still required indoors at restaurants, stores and K-12 schools in San Francisco and Marin counties.
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On Thursday, Contra Costa County announced it would similarly lift its mask mandate in certain indoor settings.
In order for the mask mandates to be lifted entirely in most indoor public spaces, health officers for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma counties and the city of Berkeley agreed to the following criteria:
- The jurisdiction must reach the yellow tier, or moderate rate of COVID-19 spread and stay there for at least three weeks.
- COVID-19 hospitalizations must be low and stable.
- 80% of the population must be fully vaccinated, or it must be eight weeks after a vaccine is approved for children ages 5-12.
