Updated Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings

Effective November 16, the California Department of Public Health issued an updated guidance for the use of face coverings, mandating that a face covering is required at all times when outside of the home, with some exceptions.

Some exemptions include:

• Persons in a car alone or solely with members of their own household
• Persons who are working in an office or in a room alone
• Persons who are actively eating or drinking that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household
• Persons who are outdoors and maintaining at least 6 feet of social distancing from others not in their household. Such persons must have a face covering with them at all times and must put it on if they are within 6 feet of others who are not in their household.
• Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service
• Workers who are required to wear respiratory protection
• Persons who are specifically exempted from wearing face coverings by other CDPH guidance

The following individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings at all times:

• Persons younger than two years old. These very young children must not wear a face covering because of the risk of suffocation.
• Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance. Such conditions are rare. 
• Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
• Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines. 

Note: Persons exempted from wearing a face covering due to a medical condition who are employed in a job involving regular contact with others must wear a non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield wit ha drape on the bottom edge, as long as their condition permits it.

Read more here: ​https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/guidance-for-face-coverings.aspx