California's mask mandate expires next week for vaccinated residents

California's mask mandate¹ expires next week for vaccinated² residents

Transcript³

While the statewide mask mandate will end for vaccinated residents, that doesn't mean everyone in the state will be able to remove their masks indoors — even if they've gotten the shots.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

California will approach another pandemic turning point - dropping the indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people. I asked Jackie Fortier, senior health reporter at member station KPCC, why California's mask mandate is changing now.

JACKIE FORTIER, BYLINE⁴: When omicron was cascading⁵ in early December, California health officials decided⁶ to impose a one-month indoor mask mandate for everyone age 2 and up, regardless of their vaccination⁷ status. And then in January, when case counts exploded and hospitals were again slammed as, you know, health workers tested positive, the mask mandate was extended for another month to try to prevent more people from getting infected. So now that the omicron surge is rapidly receding⁸, state health officials decided to let the mask mandate expire. So after February 15, in many parts of the state, vaccinated Californians will no longer be required to wear a mask if they don't want to.

MARTIN: Many parts of the state. Can you be more specific?

FORTIER: Yeah. Really most of California you won't have to, including rural areas where local officials didn't impose mask mandates⁹, as well as, you know, more conservative places, like Orange County here in Southern California. But, you know, masks aren't going away completely. All unvaccinated people will be required to wear masks indoors and everyone in high-risk settings, like nursing homes, hospitals and shelters. And so far, there has been no date set to lift the statewide mask mandate in K-12 schools.

MARTIN: But the mask mandates are going to stay in place altogether in some parts of California. LA County, for one, right? What's the rationale there?

FORTIER: Right. So counties and municipalities are allowed to have stricter rules than the state. And LA County health officials say there's just too many people still getting infected. LA County health director Barbara Ferrer said essential workers will pay the price for lifting the mask mandate too early.

BARBARA FERRER: The same essential workers who, from the beginning of the pandemic, have had the most risk, the highest case rates and, unfortunately and tragically¹⁰, a high hospitalization and death rate. So let's not have that happen again in our rush to sort of declare victory over the pandemic.

FORTIER: Under the new criteria¹¹ announced last week, masks will come off in LA County as community transmission declines - first outdoors at schools, and then when transmission drops even lower, indoors at offices and restaurants. So that means that thousands of fans attending the Super Bowl in LA County on Sunday will need to mask up.

MARTIN: So, as Leila noted¹², this leaves a sort of patchwork¹³ - right? - of mask mandates around the state. So you don't wear a mask where you're from. Maybe you drive across the county line, you got to put one on. What are the larger implications of that?

MARTIN: Yeah, it's confusing for people, especially for those, like you said, who live in one county and work in another. A lot of people live in San Bernardino County because it's cheaper and then work in LA County, where they'd have to wear a mask and then, you know, when they drive home, go out to eat in San Bernardino, they wouldn't have to wear a mask. Individual businesses can still require masks when you get up from the table. But the county mandate really provides cover for business owners who do want customers to wear masks. You know, it's easier to say, hey, it's the health department rules than to say it's our own restaurant's policy.

MARTIN: Right. Health Reporter Jackie Fortier from KPCC in Los Angeles. Thank you, Jackie. We appreciate it.

FORTIER: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF OATY.'S "MAI TAI")

1 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

2 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 cascading   

流注( cascade的现在分词 )； 大量落下； 大量垂悬； 梯流

参考例句：

• First of all, cascading menus are to be avoided at all costs. 首先，无论如何都要避免使用级联菜单。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Her sounds began cascading gently. 他的声音开始缓缓地低落下来。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

8 receding   

v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• Desperately he struck out after the receding lights of the yacht. 游艇的灯光渐去渐远，他拼命划水追赶。 来自辞典例句
• Sounds produced by vehicles receding from us seem lower-pitched than usual. 渐渐远离我们的运载工具发出的声似乎比平常的音调低。 来自辞典例句

9 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

10 tragically   

adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地

参考例句：

• Their daughter was tragically killed in a road accident. 他们的女儿不幸死于车祸。
• Her father died tragically in a car crash. 她父亲在一场车祸中惨死。

11 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

12 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

13 patchwork   

n.混杂物；拼缝物

参考例句：

• That proposal is nothing else other than a patchwork.那个建议只是一个大杂烩而已。
• She patched new cloth to the old coat,so It'seemed mere patchwork. 她把新布初到那件旧上衣上，所以那件衣服看上去就象拼凑起来的东西。