PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has issued an updated Health Order, which will take effect on Feb. 25, 2022, at 12:01 a.m., aligning its mask mandates with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The Youth Recreational Sports Protocol (Appendix W) also has been updated to reflect these changes.

Beginning Feb. 25, the following Order will be in place:

• People who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear masks in most indoor settings.
• Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people must still wear masks in indoor public settings and businesses.
  • Examples include, but are not limited to, retail, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state and local government offices serving the public.
• Regardless of vaccination status, everyone must continue to wear face masks in certain indoor settings, including public transit, K-12 schools, childcare centers, emergency shelters and cooling/heating centers, healthcare settings, correctional facilities and detention centers, homeless shelters, long-term care settings and adult and senior care facilities.

 The Health Department recommends:

• Masking in public settings and businesses, even by those who are fully vaccinated, when the risk may be high, such as in crowded indoor settings, indoor settings with poor ventilation, indoor settings where other’s vaccination status is unknown, and at indoor mega events.
• Wearing surgical masks or higher-level respirators (e.g., N95, KN95, KF94s) well-fitted over an individual’s mouth and nose.
• Continuing to follow common-sense COVID-19 safety strategies, such as staying home when sick; frequent hand washing; testing for COVID-19 when in contact with someone who has the virus or when experiencing any COVID-like symptoms; and becoming vaccinated and boosted when eligible.

As a separate health jurisdiction within Los Angeles County, Long Beach is aligning with the CDPH and the Order will differ slightly from the County approach, allowing for businesses moving forward to determine and implement COVID-19 precautions for unvaccinated people. These options include the following, with additional details outlined in the updated Health Order:

• Providing information to all patrons, guests and attendees regarding vaccination requirements and allow vaccinated people to self-attest that they are in compliance prior to entry; OR
• Implementing vaccine verification to determine whether people are required to wear a mask; OR
• Requiring all patrons to wear masks.

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 can be directed to the Jennifer Rice Epstein, Public Affairs Officer, Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, 562.441.3590 or Jennifer.RiceEpstein@longbeach.gov.