As COVID-19 case rates rise and precautions against the Omicron variant increase, California will enforce a statewide mask mandate in all indoor public settings, according to the state's top government health official.
The order, which will go into force on Wednesday and remain for a month, is one of many steps being taken by the United States' most populous state to combat an outbreak of diseases that are already stressing hospitals in places where vaccination rates are low.
"We know people are tired, and hungry for normalcy," state Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly said in a conference call with reporters. "Frankly I am, too."
In the UK, at least one person has died after contracting the Omicron variant, which now accounts for 44% of new infections in London, officials said.
COVID-19 infections have increased by 47 percent in California since Thanksgiving, reaching more than 14 cases per 100,000 persons, according to Ghaly.
A Reuters calculation indicated that the United States has hit 800,000 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, as the country prepared for a potential spike in infections due to greater time spent indoors over the winter holidays and colder weather, as well as the highly transmissible Omicron variety.
Unvaccinated persons who wish to attend major events such as music festivals or professional baseball games with more than 1,000 people in attendance may be subjected to stricter testing procedures in California.
People intending to access such venues must either be vaccinated or show they tested negative to a COVID-19 antigen test within one day of the event, or a PCR test within two days after the stricter rules take effect.
According to Ghaly, the administration also recommends that all visitors to the state be tested for COVID-19 within three to five days of arrival.
The initiatives are intended to save California from having to take more drastic actions like reducing public space capacity or shutting down sectors of the economy. Such regulations are not presently being considered, and officials expect that they will not be necessary if citizens follow the mask requirement, according to Ghaly.
