Mask mandates still in place in California, but not in Nevada for fully vaccinated people

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday that fully vaccinated people can go ahead and stop wearing masks and stop social distancing, both inside and outside, many are confused as to what the rules are both locally and in the state. The shift in guidance was an unexpected and dramatic reversal from the country's top public health agency and caught many by surprise and unprepared.

The CDC still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, such as buses, planes, hospitals, and prisons, and says residents should follow local rules. They don't run or oversee local public health departments and cannot overrule local or state health departments.

Locally, there is still an emergency ordinance in place requiring masks, and fines are still in place for violations of that ordinance (though there has only been one fine since the ordinance was initiated). The South Lake Tahoe City Council has a standing COVID-19 item on its agenda Tuesday night and they may take direction on updating the ordinance.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) had not yet updated its mask mandate as of Friday and the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) is awaiting their direction to make any changes in South Lake Tahoe schools.

"Once we receive guidance for schools we will work to modify our existing masking procedures," said LTUSD Friday.

As of Friday, May 14, 15.36 million, or 48.3 percent, of Californians were fully vaccinated (one becomes fully vaccinated 14 days after the final dose). In El Dorado County 31.5 percent of residents are fully vaccinated and in South Lake Tahoe, the State's website shows 38 percent of residents are fully vaccinated.

In Nevada, things are different. Governor Sisolak dropped the state's mask mandate for fully vaccinated people. The state's Gaming Control Board voted to leave decisions on mask-wearing in casinos up to the individual properties. South Shore casinos have not announced any decisions at this time.

At this time, 1.03 million people are fully vaccinated in Nevada which is 33.4 percent of the state's population. In Douglas County, 36.62 percent of the residents are fully vaccinated.