Hospital Mask Mandates Come Back in California’s Bay Area: What We Know

A nearby hospital system in Monterey also reimposed a mandate.

A health care professional prepares to enter a patient's room, in this file photo. Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images

Multiple counties in California’s San Francisco Bay Area region reinstated mask mandates in health care settings starting Nov. 1, while other municipalities have recommended face coverings.

Counties with mask requirements for employees include San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Napa, and San Mateo. But Santa Clara County, which includes San Jose, and San Mateo County also require visitors and patients in those health care facilities to wear masks.