2nd California County Announces COVID Mask Mandates in Health Care Facilities

The mandate will go into effect starting Nov. 1 and will last until April 2026.

Pedestrians wear face masks, in this file photo. Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

A second California county has said that mask mandates will soon be reimplemented in health care settings because of an anticipated increase in respiratory viruses.

Sonoma County interim health officer Dr. Karen Smith said the mandate will go into effect on Nov. 1 and end after March 31, 2026, following a mask mandate that was issued in Santa Cruz County earlier this month.