County recommends everyone wear masks in indoor venues

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Riverside County health officials followed the lead of state and national departments with a recommendation today that everyone wear a mask indoors in public places – vaccinated or not.

The announcement follows Tuesday’s announcement by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention recommending that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates. The California Department of Public Health made the same recommendation in an announcement earlier today.

“Following the updated face mask guidance issued by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health, and in light of the recent increase in local COVID-19 cases, Riverside County Public Health recommends residents follow the new state and federal guidance for face coverings,” County health officials stated in their announcement late today.

“As the impact on the Delta variant increases transmissibility, Riverside County health officials continue to stress that getting vaccinated is the best protection against the virus and its variants.”

Because the announcement is a recommendation and not a county health order, it does not require mandatory enforcement, but individual businesses may require customers as well as employees to wear masks.

The latest COVID-19 numbers show that 226 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Riverside County, including 54 in intensive care. Statistics for Menifee show a total of 10,171 confirmed cases.

School administrators in Menifee have previously said they are obligated to follow guidance from the California Department of Public Health, last updated July 12, that requires K-12 students to wear masks while indoors at school. Romoland School posted the following statement on its website today:

“Districts in California, including Romoland School District, will continue to require that masks be worn indoors in school settings. Currently, the state is requiring both students and staff to wear face coverings when inside school buildings, regardless of vaccination status for the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Masks best promote both safety and in-person learning by reducing the need for physical distancing.”

The announcement also states that the district will continue to provide the option for COVID-19 testing for students. Schools in the Romoland School District will open on Aug. 5.

The most recent announcement from Menifee Union School District came from superintendent Jennifer Root on July 23. It states, in part:

“One area of restriction that remains is that all students and staff at preschool through 12th-grade facilities throughout California are required to wear face coverings while indoors. This restriction is included in CDPH guidance, and it has been verified with legal counsel that the District is legally obligated to follow the guidance. Although we may have differing viewpoints on the use of face coverings, at this time we must follow the public health guidance. The District will continue to review all information released and make changes accordingly.”

MUSD schools open on Aug. 11.

The most recent update from Perris Union High School District states that “PUHSD is planning for a full return of all students to full-time, face-to-face instruction, for the 2021-22 school year. We are dedicated to creating a safe and caring environment for our students as they return in the fall. As we near the beginning of the school year, we will clearly communicate the safety precautions necessary to hold face to face instruction.” Paloma Valley, Heritage and Liberty high schools open Aug. 4.