A California county has issued an order requiring face masks to now be worn inside certain health care facilities due to the “risk of COVID, flu and other respiratory virus-related illnesses” in the fall and winter.
Sonoma County Interim Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith issued the order Monday, which goes into effect Nov. 1.
A Sonoma County Health Department spokesperson said: newsweek“The timing of this order was made in conjunction with other Bay Area counties and in anticipation of the winter surges in coronavirus and flu that are common across the country, if not the world.”
Why it matters
The order is designed to protect the county’s “most vulnerable populations,” including seniors and cancer patients in health care facilities during the fall and winter, a Sonoma County Health Department spokesperson told Fox News. It is also designed to prevent medical staff from getting sick.
Influenza appears to be more lethal than COVID-19 in the United States this year. Last winter, the flu sickened 47 to 82 million people in the United States and killed 27,000 to 130,000 people, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What you need to know
This order applies to the following health care facilities in Sonoma County: skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facility sections where nursing services are provided, acute and non-acute rehabilitation facilities, infusion centers, and dialysis centers.
Masks are required at registration desks, waiting rooms, exam rooms, treatment rooms, and other areas where patients and health care providers interact.
Asked if the order could be expanded to additional facilities, a Sonoma County Health Department spokeswoman said it was “unlikely.”
“However, hospitals and other facilities may issue their own mask mandates at any time, especially if the situation becomes dire,” the spokesperson added.
There will be some exemptions, including “those with a diagnosed medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents the individual from wearing a face mask.” People who are hearing impaired and need to see other people’s mouths to communicate are also exempt.
The order states that appropriate face masks are surgical masks or KN95, KF94 or N95 respirator masks. However, informal masks such as scarves, ski masks, balaclavas, bandanas, turtlenecks, collars, cloth masks, or face coverings with “unfiltered one-way exhaust valves” are not suitable.
Anyone who is not exempt and fails to comply with the order may be subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both.
Sonoma County health officials have had a similar order since 2017. Although this year’s order affects fewer health care facilities than previous years, the county emphasized that all facilities “strongly encourage the use of face masks throughout the respiratory virus season, regardless of vaccination status.”
Smith also “strongly” recommended that everyone 6 months and older get their current COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines if eligible.
what people say
A Sonoma County Health Department spokesperson said: newsweek: “Sonoma County is just coming out of its summer surge, and we expect the winter surge to begin around the winter break. Dr. Smith has issued a mask mandate because patients and residents of certain healthcare facilities are at greater risk of hospitalization and death related to respiratory viruses. Workers in healthcare facilities are also at risk for respiratory illness, and clients, patients, You can spread the virus to your colleagues. Additionally, respiratory virus-related illness among health care workers can result in absenteeism, putting a strain on limited health care resources.”
Dr. Karen Smith said in a statement: “The risk to vulnerable patients with COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory viruses in health care settings remains significant, so the use of face masks continues to be important in patient care areas where seasonal exposure to one or more viruses is at high risk.”
“In California, the vaccine is covered by insurance for residents of all ages and remains the best protection against respiratory viral infections,” she added.
What happens next?
The order requires masks to be worn in designated health care facilities from Nov. 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
Updated 10/10/25 3:32 a.m.: This article has been updated with comment from a Sonoma County Health Department spokesperson.
