New Sonoma County health orders for pharmacies, home health care workers, youth sports

Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase is taking new steps to curb the spread of COVID-19, including issuing a health order requiring home health care workers and pharmacists to show proof of COVID vaccination or undergo regular testing, and recommendations for youth sports.

The health order requiring vaccinations or weekly testing applies to all businesses and governmental entities with personnel who are home health care workers or pharmacists. It aligns these workers with other sectors such as education, fire and law enforcement, which are under similar vaccination or testing health orders.

The new guidance for youth sports includes a requirement to wear masks indoors for all participants, coaches, personnel and spectators, regardless of vaccination status. Masks also are required for both competition and practice, during physical education, conditioning/weightlifting, and other indoor activities.

COVID-19 vaccinations are strongly recommended for all participants who are old enough to be eligible for vaccination, as well as coaches, staff and volunteers. Having all athletes and staff fully vaccinated will greatly decrease the risk of transmission of the virus among teammates and between teams, and will provide protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. It will also decrease disruption in team activities, since fully vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine if they are close contacts to a case of COVID-19.

“These public health measures are designed to help control the spread of COVID, which is surging right now due to the Delta variant,” Dr. Mase said. “Taken together, these measures will make this a safer community.”

All of Sonoma County’s health orders and guidance can be found at socoemergency.org/emergency/novel-coronavirus/health-orders/