Nevada County will end its mask mandate next week, local officials decided Friday.

Nevada County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Sherilynn Cooke, announced that Nevada County will revert to the state’s health officer order for masking, going into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. As the local masking order is rescinded, it is still highly recommended that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a high-quality mask while in public spaces.

The California state health officer order requires unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask in public spaces. Additionally, all individuals must wear masks in specific indoor settings regardless of vaccination status, including public transportation, K-12 schools and childcare, health care settings, congregate living settings such as long-term care settings and senior care facilities, emergency shelters, cooling and heating centers, homeless shelters, state and local correctional facilities, and detention centers.

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“Our local case rate is lower than statewide data, and we continue to see a sharp decrease in cases. However, we continue to have high transmission and should continue to take precautions until our case rate is considerably lower,” Cooke said in a news release. “With the vaccine and high-quality masks available now, people can better protect themselves against COVID-19. We still strongly recommend getting vaccinated as it provides natural immunity that is broader than when someone gets infected.”

Although local case rates are quickly declining, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still indicate widespread transmission in Nevada County and throughout the country and recommend that everyone wear a mask while transmission is high.

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Nevada County Public Health supports businesses that require masking and vaccination requirements to protect their customers and staff. If local small businesses or nonprofits would like to offer no-cost PPE, they can request N95 masks, surgical masks, and hand sanitizer at http://www.MyNevadaCounty.com/PPE.

Our local health care system is better prepared to handle COVID-19 cases with the improved ability to treat COVID-19 patients with therapeutics. The public health officer will continue to assess the public health situation as it evolves and may issue additional orders as circumstances change.

Source: Nevada County