Mask mandate reinstated in San Francisco Bay Area amid surge

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Health officials in San Francisco and six other Bay Area counties have announced that they are reinstating a mask mandate for all indoor settings as COVID-19 infections surge.

Monday's order applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status, and starts on Tuesday. California last week recommended that people wear masks indoors, but stopped short of issuing a mandate, following guidance from the U.S Centers for Disease Control.

Affected counties include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and the City of Berkeley.

Three other California counties have already adopted mandates as COVID rates rise because of the highly contagious delta variant.

PRESS RELEASE: Bay Area Health Officials Urge Immediate Vaccination and Issue Orders Requiring Use of Face Coverings Indoors to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 https://t.co/rOKMJwAFKh pic.twitter.com/tVt6mkECg5

— Contra Costa Health Services (@CoCoHealth) August 2, 2021