Rise in COVID cases has one CA leader recommending masks
Sep 4, 2025
A rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations has at least one state leader recommending people wear masks indoors.
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In California, a rise in COVID-19 cases and high levels of coronavirus in wastewater
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has at least one official recommending masking indoors. The State Department of Health now tracks diseases through wastewater
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and it's been very effective since the pandemic. It's really the best way to see how active the virus is in a given community
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Wastewater actually looks directly at the amount of virus that's being excreted, literally from our bodies into the wastewater across the community. The CDC shows California
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is one of 21 states with high or very high levels of coronavirus in wastewater. They also show the
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number of COVID cases has risen and the epidemic trend is, quote, likely growing. Despite that
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hospital admissions and deaths remain low. We need to see this in context. In 2020
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just in the community that I was serving as a health officer, you know, we were seeing
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dozens of deaths every month. We are nowhere near that right now
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In Yolo County, health officials recommend people take extra precautions, including wearing masks indoors County health officer Dr Amy Sisson said quote based on current wastewater levels of the virus that causes COVID I recommend that everybody in West Sacramento wear a mask when they are around others in indoor public spaces
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I think it's reasonable as a recommendation, but I, again, I think it's important to take this in context
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The masks, just as a tool, have been so politicized that we want to make sure that we're not overcalling it or undercalling it
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And the fact is that as a tool, a mask is an effective way of preventing infection, period
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According to Willis, the best way to fight the coronavirus is vaccination
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High vaccination rates translates to lower mortality at the community level. And for an individual, it's the same
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If you're vaccinated, you're much less likely to end up in a hospital. And that's just been proven over and over again
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That is not a political statement. That is just a scientific reality
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Willis said the latest COVID-19 vaccine is effective and now available throughout California
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For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Keenan. If you want more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com
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