California exempts qualifying vaccinated groups in Sonoma County from new indoor mask rule

Santa Rosa architect Mark Quattrocchi breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday when he learned that his staff at Quattrocchi Kwok Architects in downtown Santa Rosa would not have to wear face masks at work.

The new state indoor masking rule — in effect from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 — does not alter a nearly two-month-old exemption to Sonoma County’s own mask rules, which allow certain vaccinated groups to shed their masks in some workplaces, local and state officials said Wednesday morning.

Quattrocchi, who founded the firm, said many of his 65 employees at offices in Santa Rosa and Oakland would likely have opted to work from home if they had to go back to wearing masks.

“It’s really great news — the exemption is probably the most important element of our staff being able to get back to working together,” Quattrocchi said. “Working with masks is just so much more difficult.”

The state mandate requires everyone who gathers in public spaces, such as offices, retail shops and government meetings, to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status.

Sonoma County has had such a rule in place since early August, but it was amended in late October to allow “stable cohorts” of vaccinated people who regularly gather, such as a group of office workers who do not come in regular contact with the public.

The state rule is an attempt to halt increasing COVID-19 transmission and to add a layer of protection against new variants like the omicron mutation, which is now spreading across the United States, state officials said. State officials said that in the past two weeks, virus transmission has increased 47%.

As late as Tuesday, local officials were not sure whether the local exemption would be allowed to stand. But on Wednesday morning, Sonoma County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase said the language of the state mandate does let local rules and exemptions remain in place.

In an email to The Press Democrat, state health officials confirmed the local exemption would remain in effect. Officials pointed to a state Department of Public Health website’s Face Coverings Q&A.

“’For local health jurisdictions that had preexisting masking requirements irrespective of vaccine status, in indoor public settings, prior to December 13, 2021, those local health orders continue to apply,” the email states.

Sonoma County joins at least four other counties that have been granted limited exemptions to state indoor mask rules. These include San Francisco, Alameda, Marin and Contra Costa counties.

During a county COVID-19 press briefing Wednesday, local health officials stressed that virus transmission and related hospitalizations are on the rise. Sonoma County — currently with 11.1 new daily cases per 100,000 residents — has the third highest case rate among the Bay Area region, behind Santa Cruz and Marin, said Kathryn Pack, health program manager for the county's epidemiology team.

“We continue to have lower levels of COVID-19 than we were seeing last year,” Pack said. “However, with colder weather and the holiday season prompting more indoor activities and gathering, we may see increased transmission.”

She said the magnitude of that “winter surge” will depend on several factors including vaccination rates, variant transmissibility and the effectiveness of boosters against new variants like omicron.

With about 20% of the local population yet to receive a single dose of the vaccine, health officials said first-time vaccination and booster shots are the key to keeping transmission rates in check. Officials said early studies show that the omicron variant, while not yet identified in Sonoma County, is highly transmissible and accounted for 3% of cases sequenced by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to 1% last week.

“While research is still underway about this variant, initial findings suggest that while this variant may be less severe, hospital capacity could still be impacted due to high rates of transmission,” Pack said, adding that research has shown getting a booster “can offer good protection against the omicron variant.”

Responding to news about the state’s new mask rule, Stephen Shaver, the rector of Church of the Incarnation in downtown Santa Rosa, said the local exemption does offer some “flexibility.”

He said masks are not required in small church group meetings, where everyone is known to be vaccinated. Shaver said masking is required during all general worship services, even though “98% (of the church’s congregation) is vaccinated.”

“We welcome everybody that worships, and we assume that we are a public space,” he said.

Quattrocchi, the Santa Rosa architect, said his business adheres strictly to local public health rules and tries to maintain a “stable cohort.” He said the business does not allow client meetings in the office.

“It’s a privilege to be able to gather,” he said. “When Dr. Mase says we’ll make this exemption, we do follow it to the letter.”

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.