Department of
Health & Human Services

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach has issued a new Health Order that will continue COVID-19 vaccination and masking requirements for healthcare personnel. Isolation orders have also been updated.

The new Health Order, which took effect April 3, includes the following masking and vaccination requirements for healthcare personnel:

• Healthcare personnel will be required to wear a well-fitted mask (surgical mask) or respirator while providing patient care and while working in patient care areas. Patients and visitors are not required to wear a mask, but masking remains recommended.
• Healthcare personnel will still be required to have completed the primary COVID-19 vaccine series and at least one booster. Vaccinations may be deferred for 90 days after a recent, documented COVID-19 infection; religious and medical exemptions are allowed.

Both the masking and vaccination requirements will be reassessed before Sept. 30 to consider updated Food and Drug Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that may be issued at that time.

 The new Health Order also includes a revision to Isolation Orders:

• People who test positive for COVID-19 may discontinue isolation after 5 days ifsymptoms are not present OR the person is fever free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and their symptoms are mild and improving; A negative test will not be necessary if the above conditions are met.
• People are required to wear a well-fitted mask or respirator while around other people, both indoors and outdoors, for 10 days following a positive COVID-19 test.
• If a person has two negative tests taken on consecutive days, they may remove their mask after Day 5.
• If symptoms recur or worsen after isolation, the person should test again, and if positive, should restart isolation at Day 0.

Since 2020, every summer has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases, and new COVID-19 variants continue to emerge. These facts suggest that it is premature to remove protections in healthcare settings.

While the SARS-CoV-2 virus and possible future variants or subvariants remain a concern, medically vulnerable residents are particularly at risk of exposure. Patients, clients and residents in healthcare have little control over potential exposure to the virus when they seek care or reside in congregate settings, posing greater risk for COVID-19-related complications.

Vaccines and boosters have been proven safe and effective and continue to offer significant protection against serious illness and death related to COVID-19.  

The Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) strongly recommends that people continue to follow other common-sense COVID-19 safety strategies, such as staying home when sick; frequent hand washing; and testing for COVID-19 when in contact with someone who has the virus or when experiencing any COVID-like symptoms.

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep our residents safe, visit longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity and @LBHealthDept on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. People may also visit longbeach.gov/COVID19data for up-to-date information regarding cases and vaccines in Long Beach.

Media inquiries may be directed to Jennifer Rice Epstein, Public Affairs Officer, Department of Health and Human Services, at 562.441.3590 or Jennifer.RiceEpstein@longbeach.gov.