All Rights Reserved. Of those hospitalized, 87% are unvaccinated and 89% in ICU are unvaccinated. Some parents in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District have even threatened to sue teachers over mask enforcement. But Durham and Orange counties, at least for now, plan to keep the indoor mask. COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER The Orange County Board of Supervisors also terminated the Local Health Emergency and Local Emergency on February 28, 2023. "Whenever we've seen an increase like this in the past during the pandemic there usually was an increase in ICU cases and also deaths. California To End Statewide Mask Mandate Feb. 15 Wearing a mask in those high-risk indoor settings will still be recommended. The Orders and the Strong Recommendations contained in this document are based on the following facts: (i) As of March 22, 2023, the County has reported a total of 715,259 recorded confirmed COVID-19 cases and 8,009 COVID-19 related deaths; (ii) Safe and effective Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available, but certain populations have been slow to getting vaccinated or boosted; (iii) the current consensus among public health officials for avoiding severe illness caused by COVID-19 is for persons to complete a COVID-19 vaccination series and receive an updated (bivalent) booster if eligible, wear a well-fitted face mask in indoor settings when around others outside of their household, practice distancing, and frequently wash hands; (iv) some individuals who contract COVID-19 have no symptoms or have only mild symptoms and so are unaware that they carry the virus and are transmitting it to others; (v) current evidence shows that the novel coronavirus can survive on surfaces and can be indirectly transmitted between individuals; (vi) older adults and individuals with medical conditions are at higher risk of severe illness; (vii) sustained COVID-19 community transmission continues to occur; (viii) the age and health status of a portion of Orange County's residents place them at risk for serious health complications, including hospitalization and death, from COVID-19; (ix) younger and otherwise healthy people are also at risk for serious health outcomes and for transmitting the novel coronavirus to others. All Orange County residents must wear masks indoors for the next month, regardless of vaccination status, under a new statewide mask mandate that kicked in Wednesday ahead of Christmas and the new . Its for everyones benefit to control this virus. ORANGE COUNTY, CA California will lift its statewide mask mandate for indoor public places next week, health officials reported. Newsom has issued lots of other coronavirus mandates, including requiring state employees, health care workers and, soon, public school students and teachers to be vaccinated. Those areas include health care, long-term care, and correctional facilities as well as homeless, emergency and warming and cooling centers. Do I expect cases to continue to decline or to rise with the lifting of the mask mandate? Support Voice of OC Today. Update: Commissioners will drop mask mandate in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough public spaces .