As of May 1, San Diego County has had almost 4,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 100 deaths. With many parks and beaches opening, new rules have been set concerning face coverings. Effective May 1, San Diego County has started requiring everyone to wear a face covering in most public settings.

According to the order of the health officer and emergency regulations released by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency on April 30, “All persons two year old or older who are present in the county shall have possession of a face covering described in California Department of Public Health Face Covering Guidance issued on April 1, 2020 (available here) when they leave their home or place of residence and shall wear the face covering whenever they are in a business or within six feet of another person who is not a member of their family or household.”

As mentioned by sandiegocounty.gov, this includes outside or inside a store, picking up food at restaurants, public transportation, and ride services such as Uber and Lyft. However, these rules do not apply when one is at home, in a car, running, walking, or hiking alone or with household members. That being said, face coverings should be ready to wear if coming within six feet of another person. There is also an exception for people with medical and mental health conditions which may prevent them from wearing a face covering.

The order of the health officer and emergency regulations also states, “Effective 12:00 a.m. on Friday, May 8, 2020, each essential business shall require all employees to wear a face covering.” However, this rule is already implemented in most essential workplaces.

A face covering can include store-bought masks as well as homemade ones, bandanas, and scarves. It is important to make sure that your face covering is clean and intact. According to the California Department of Public health, any face covering that can no longer cover the nose or mouth, is stretched out or damaged, unable to stay on your face, or has any holes or tears in them should be discarded.

Face coverings are now becoming a part of our daily lives. As for how long these rules will last, it depends on the severity of this pandemic.