San Francisco Bay Area counties reinstate COVID mask orders in healthcare settings

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

Nov. 8, 2023

 

"Most San Francisco Bay Area counties are reinstituting mask requirements among workers in healthcare settings, timed to coincide with the arrival of the annual respiratory illness season and an expected late-year resurgence of COVID-19.

...

Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Sonoma and Napa counties have issued health orders requiring employees in patient care areas to wear masks through the winter respiratory viral season — defined as Nov. 1 through April 30. Santa Cruz County, just to the south, has issued a similar order.

 

Santa Clara and Marin counties have gone a step further, requiring both healthcare workers and patients to wear masks during a shorter designated period: Nov. 1 through March 31."

 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-08/bay-area-reinstates-mask-requirements-in-healthcare-settings-will-l-a-follow

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[impulse]

In healthcare setting?  No problem here.

 

Ask me to re-mask shopping at the Walmart or (how ridiculous was this) on the beach, and we may have a disagreement.  A strong one.

 

[KhunLA]

"annual respiratory illness season" ... 

... doesn't sound any more scarier than the flu.   Nice try though, as surely the ignorant folks will be masking up, thinking it's something new.

 

It's getting embarrassing reading the news any more.   By the time the zombie apocalypse hits, you really won't be able to them apart from the non-infected zombies.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In public health circles, it's referred to as the seasonal "tripledemic" -- the confluence of COVID, seasonal flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections:

 

US CDC expects 'tripledemic' hospitalizations to remain high this year vs pre-pandemic levels

 

"Sept 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday it expects the total number of hospitalizations from COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus infections and flu this year to be similar to last year, higher than pre-pandemic levels.

 

The government health agency also said it expects flu and RSV infections to increase over the fall and winter seasons.

...

A surge in cases of RSV infections coinciding with an increase in COVID transmission and an earlier-than-normal flu season has raised the specter of a so-called 'tripledemic' of respiratory illness across the United States."

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-cdc-expects-tripledemic-hospitalizations-remain-high-this-year-vs-pre-2023-09-14/

 

Hence the reason some hospitals are upping their face masking policies.

[Bkk Brian]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

In healthcare setting?  No problem here.

 

Ask me to re-mask shopping at the Walmart or (how ridiculous was this) on the beach, and we may have a disagreement.  A strong one.

 

Don't worry, no need for the outrage, they're not going to be asking you to mask up at the beach......................lol

[impulse]

9 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Don't worry, no need for the outrage, they're not going to be asking you to mask up at the beach......................lol

You mean "again". 

 

Because last time, they closed the beach.  And when they opened it back up to "individuals (no groups allowed), for the purpose of exercise", they required masks.  At the beach, and in the middle of winter.

 

You may think that's funny, but I think it was a criminal violation of freedom and individual and property rights.

[Bkk Brian]

7 minutes ago, impulse said:

You mean "again". 

 

Because last time, they closed the beach.  And when they opened it back up to "individuals (no groups allowed), for the purpose of exercise", they required masks.  At the beach, and in the middle of winter.

 

You may think that's funny, but I think it was a criminal violation of freedom and individual and property rights.

Yes I meant again, don't worry......lol

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And more on this from Canada:

Ontario requires masking for long-term care home staff amid rise in COVID-19 outbreaks

Nov 10, 2023

 

"Masking is now required for staff in long term care homes across Ontario amid a recent rise in COVID-19 outbreaks, cases and resident hospitalizations, the provincial government says.

 

A Nov. 2 memo from the Ministry of Long-Term Care to LTC licensees says the requirement is based on advice from Dr. Kieran Moore, chief medical officer of health. Homes were expected to implement the requirement no later than Nov. 7, it says.

...

There have been 5,459 COVID-19 cases among long-term care residents, with 181 people hospitalized from Aug. 27, 2023 to Oct. 28, Public Health Ontario says in a Nov. 7 surveillance report.  A total of 106 people have died."

 

(more)

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-masking-requirement-staff-long-term-care-homes-1.7026056

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And more on this from Canada:

Ontario requires masking for long-term care home staff amid rise in COVID-19 outbreaks

Nov 10, 2023

 

"Masking is now required for staff in long term care homes across Ontario amid a recent rise in COVID-19 outbreaks, cases and resident hospitalizations, the provincial government says.

 

A Nov. 2 memo from the Ministry of Long-Term Care to LTC licensees says the requirement is based on advice from Dr. Kieran Moore, chief medical officer of health. Homes were expected to implement the requirement no later than Nov. 7, it says.

...

There have been 5,459 COVID-19 cases among long-term care residents, with 181 people hospitalized from Aug. 27, 2023 to Oct. 28, Public Health Ontario says in a Nov. 7 surveillance report.  A total of 106 people have died."

 

(more)

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-masking-requirement-staff-long-term-care-homes-1.7026056

 

 

Oh no, expect the outrage from the usual suspects soon....lol