'I Don't Understand It' – Santa Clara County's Decision Not To Lift Mask Mandate With Rest Of Bay Area Prompts Backlash
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) – Santa Clara County will likely keep its indoor mask mandates in place for at least another two to three weeks as the rest of the counties in the Bay Area move to lift the requirement next Wednesday with the state.
Wednesday's announcement prompted backlash among residents, business owners and visitors of the region's most populous county.
"I'm confused, I'm disappointed and I don't understand it," said Atelier Salon founder and master stylist Karie Bennett. "You could go into a restaurant right now, the minute you sit down, you whip off your mask. What's the difference between that and coming to the salon."
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the statewide indoor mask mandate would end on February 15 for those who are vaccinated. Two days later, public health officers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano and Sonoma counties, along with the City of Berkeley, announced they would follow the state's lead.
Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody, however, said in a news conference that transmission of the virus in the community remained too high to ease up on the restriction.
"We're taking a different course in Santa Clara County," said Cody. "We are continuing to follow our data and metrics to tell us when it's appropriate to lift."
The health officer said the county must meet three metrics to allow the removal of masks, including a high vaccination -- which the county has met. The second requirement is low, stable hospitalizations, which Cody anticipates will decrease soon. The last metric, she announced, is an average case rate of 550 infections a day for seven consecutive days.
Cody said models show the county reaching the last metric by early to mid-March. Cases have continued to drop by 40% each week. As of Wednesday, the seven-day rolling average stood at 1,760 new infections.
"It's insane, it's punitive, it's not scientifically based," said former San Jose City Councilmember and Santa Clara County resident Johnny Khamis. "It's a punishment for the people who live in Santa Clara County."
He said he feels the decision hurts small business owners, like Bennett.
"We need to get back to some semblance of normalcy, that's why we got vaccinated, that's why we got boosted, let's move forward," Bennett said.