After growing concerns voiced by the general public, individuals
deemed essential workers, news outlets, and others on the use of
face masks, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
issued guidance on the proper uses of cloth face coverings for
the general public. The guidance stops short of mandating the use
of face coverings and instead can be summarized as an
informational document.
While the department strongly encourages frequently washing your
hands, social distancing and adhering to stay at home orders,
they do acknowledge that there is limited evidence that suggest
there may be an additional benefit to also utilizing face
coverings. The guidance provides counties the discretion to
implement their own face covering policies within their
jurisdictions, while continuing to promote good hygiene habits,
and ensuring the policies do not cause a decrease in supply of
N95 and surgical masks for healthcare professionals.
The public guidance provides instruction for individuals on what
CDPH considers a cloth face covering, how well it will prevent
the spread of COVID-19, when it could be used, and how to
properly care for them. The document aims to provide this
information so individuals can make the decision to use cloth
face coverings for themselves, while highlighting the need to
continue to follow the guidance and requirements already issued
by the Administration to slow the spread of COVID-19.
For the full document please visit the CDPH released
here.
