Several counties in Northern California have followed Los Angeles County and issued orders requiring residents wear face coverings when engaging in certain functions. The Bay Area counties include Sonora, San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Marin. The Yolo County order requiring face coverings is effective April 27, 2020. It is expected that other counties in the area will follow.

The Yolo County Order states that a “face covering” means “a covering made of cloth, fabric, or other soft or permeable material, without holes, that covers the nose and mouth.” As such, face coverings need not be medical-grade masks.

In the business setting, face coverings are required for individuals visiting and working at essential businesses, and for those working at or seeking services from entities engaged in Essential Infrastructure work, Minimum Basic Operations, or Essential Government Functions.

The Order states that all essential businesses must require that their employees, contractors, owners, and volunteers wear face coverings at the workplace and when performing work off-site any time these individuals are: (1) Interacting in person with any member of the public; (2) Working in any space visited by members of the public, such as by way of example and without limitation, reception areas, grocery store or pharmacy aisles, service counters, public restrooms, cashier and checkout areas, waiting rooms, service areas, and other spaces used to interact with the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time; (3) Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others; (4) Working in or walking through common areas such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities; or (5) In any room or enclosed area when other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present.

In addition to the above, essential businesses are required to take reasonable measures to remind customers and members of the public of the requirement to wear face coverings. Essential Businesses and entities engaged in Essential Infrastructure work or Minimum Basic Operations are also required take all reasonable steps to prohibit any member of the public who is not wearing a face covering from entering, must not serve that person if those efforts are unsuccessful, and must seek to remove that person from the premises, without the use of physical force, threats, or intimidation.

The order can be found here: https://www.yolocounty.org/home/showdocument?id=64118.