Similar to early on during the pandemic when California led the country in stay at home orders, now Sonoma County has taken the initiative as the first county in the state to mandate masks be worn in all public settings. While the initiative was announced on April 13, it was not enforced until April 17. However, declaring this public health order led multiple counties in the Bay Area to follow suit.

The order to wear a mask will stay until public health officials declare it safe to allow the public out without them. According to the Sonoma County Health Office, in California, there is still a substantial danger that faces the state as a whole. In order to protect the public from the easily spread novel coronavirus, Sonoma County has chosen not to sit back and wait for more cases but instead work on preventing future cases. Masks must be worn in any public indoor facility that is located outside of one’s own home. They must also be worn on any occasion outdoors where individuals will be within the social distancing measurement of six feet. A mask is characterized as a facial covering with “any fabric or cloth that covers the mouth and nose,” according to the Sonoma County Health Office. This includes clothing items such as scarves and bandanas. However, it is preferred that community members use masks with a filter to better support the deflection of the COVID-19 virus.

Residents are not required to wear masks during outdoor exercise as long as they can follow social distancing rules. Masks are not required while driving but are required if the windows are rolled down to speak to someone outside of the household.

As long as the population follows these guidelines, the spread is likely to begin a decline. Face covering is no longer an option, as County Health Officials share that a “violation of any provision of this Order constitutes a threat and menace to public health, constitutes a public nuisance, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.” Therefore, residents who go out in public without a mask are faced with major consequences.

Sonoma State alum and Rohnert Park resident, Jensen Bergvall, shares that she believes this to be an important and needed call from health officials in order to keep as many residents as healthy as possible.

The order is to protect residents of Sonoma County by covering the ways of spreading the virus from person to person. By wearing a mask, a person is able to keep their germs to themselves therefore if everyone is wearing one, the virus spreading through the respiratory system will be drastically affected for the better.

Riverside and Los Angeles Counties have also decided to begin mandating the public to wear masks while running essential errands during social distancing. It is still encouraged for residents to stay inside their homes as much as possible and to only make trips to stores for essential needs only.

The county, state, and country still have a long way to go to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. As information is shared in intervals as the conditions continue to change, it is increasingly more important to pay attention to health officials’ advice in order to slow the spread.

Currently, stats provided by Worldometer share that the United States continues to dominate the global pandemic with case numbers surpassing 700,000. The number of cases continues to rise, with little knowledge as to when the pandemic will end. California holds nearly 30,000 cases, with Sonoma County topping over 180. California’s hardest-hit communities include Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego.

There is hope that through these new measures in place in Sonoma County and throughout the state that there will be enough containment to reopen the state to more normal activities. However, it is unclear as to what extent normal will be for the country in the coming months. Residents are advised to follow these updated safety measures and to continue social distancing.