Masks & COVID-19

After you've been fully vaccinated, you don't need to wear a mask when you're indoors with other fully vaccinated people.

• When to wear a face covering
• Guidelines for face coverings
• Exceptions for health, safety, or disability and children under 2

When to wear a face covering

California Department of Public Health guidance requires everyone 2 years and older to wear a face covering when:

• indoors in public places (workplaces, stores, restaurants)
• outdoors in crowded settings (live performances, sports events, festivals, fairs, etc.)
• on public transportation, in a taxi or rideshare
• in a healthcare setting

Unvaccinated people should wear face coverings:

• in any outdoor setting where physical distancing cannot be maintained
• when indoors with others who have not yet been vaccinated

Fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors except in crowded settings or indoors when:

• visiting with other fully vaccinated people
• visiting with unvaccinated people, including children, from a single household - if no one in the household is at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19

You are considered "fully vaccinated" two weeks after receiving your final shot.

Guidelines for face coverings

Face coverings should be comfortable and allow you to breathe normally through your nose. Make sure it fits well - you should avoid touching your face or adjusting your mask once you've put it on.

Your face covering should:

• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• allow for breathing without restriction
• be able to be laundered without damage

What not to use

• Masks with valves: Do not use masks that have a one-way valve designed for easier breathing (the valves are often a raised plastic disk about the size of a quarter on the front or side of the mask). These valves allow respiratory droplets out of the mask, which puts people nearby at risk.

Keep face coverings clean

Clean your hands before and after touching your face coverings.

Wash your face coverings frequently. Ideally, wash them after each use and keep them in a dedicated laundry bag or bin.

Follow CDC instructions on washing cloth face coverings by machine or by hand.

Exceptions: some groups are not required to wear face coverings

Medical, safety, and disability exceptions

You do not have to wear a face covering if:

• you have been advised by a medical professional not to wear a face covering (must have documentation)
• you have trouble breathing or are not able to take off a face covering without help
• wearing a face covering would create a safety hazard at work, according to established health and safety guidelines
• you have a physical disability that prevents you from wearing a face covering

If you are deaf and use facial and mouth movements as part of communication, you can remove your mask while signing.

Children

Children under 2 should not wear face coverings, as this creates risk of suffocation.

Last updated May 5, 2021