With the issuance of updated, relaxed requirements surrounding California’s mask mandate, now relying on an honor system among the vaccinated and non-vaccinated in workplaces and public places, some may wonder if ditching face coverings all together, so quickly, is the safest course of action.

As of Thursday, June 17, the California Department of Public Health updated face mask requirements to be closer in-line with the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) guidelines, stating, “vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most circumstances” and, “unvaccinated people should wear masks in indoor, public settings.”

In an interview with Irvine Weekly, Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan said the last 15 months have been challenging. Khan also emphasized that face masks are still a requirement for the non-vaccinated, adding that it was still perfectly acceptable to continue wearing a mask even if fully vaccinated.

“This past year and a half has been difficult and I’m glad that because of the guidance in place and the vaccine availability, we are able to open back up. It’s wonderful to see people out and about,” Khan wrote in a text to Irvine Weekly. “I just hope that everyone remains respectful towards one another. That means if some people are fully vaccinated and want to continue wearing a mask, it’s ok. However, it is important for those that have not been vaccinated to wear their mask to protect themselves and the spread of the virus, which we know is still active.”

In terms of COVID-19 rates in Orange County, on Thursday, June 17, the Orange County Health Agency reported 43 new COVID-19 cases and one new COVID-19 related death. Accumulatively, HCA has reported 255,771 COVID-19 cases, which includes 5,102 deaths.

Considering the vaccine hesitancy in Orange County, some may undoubtedly be hesitant to stop wearing face masks in public entirely. Although, epidemiology may play a key role in making it safe to do so, for now.

Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist at UC Irvine, said that while the vaccination attestation honor system is not a reliable safeguard against transmission, COVID-19 infections will remain low during the summer.

“Going maskless is justified this summer. The transmission rates are just very low right now. It’s justified epidemiologically, and I think it’s the smart money move – because I think there’s a lot of post-pandemic fatigue setting in,” Noymer said in an interview with Irvine Weekly. “It won’t matter until the fall (late October?) or when the Delta variant runs rampant (whichever comes first), then it will matter.”

Noymer, who is eager for the return of in-person classes at UCI, said that the vaccinated should worry less about the transactional interactions with the non-vaccinated in terms of transmission. However, he emphasized that the non-vaccinated have a greater probability of creating the next wave of variant-driven strains.

“In the long run, the non-vaccinated are going to keep the virus churning (possibly generating new variants), and generally prolong the pandemic,” he said. “I fear that October will come and there will still be groups that are under-vaccinated. And that they’re disproportionately swept up in the fall events. Some sort of fall resurgence is virtually inevitable. The fact of the matter is that the current epidemiological situation basically justifies putting our masks away, and I’m on board with that.”

For those still hesitant about the face covering honor system in public, Noymer said for now vaccinated people should not worry about the frequency at which non-vaccinated individuals wear masks, pointing to the national politicalization of the face mask debate.

“In New York, it’s a virtue signal that I’m one of the good guys, and in Orange County it’s been politicized to, ‘Let’s burn these tools of oppression,’” he said. “That’s really unfortunate, because I kind of find myself stuck in the middle, loathed by both sides — and I’ve said on more than one occasion, ‘Let’s put the masks away this summer, but put them away in a drawer, not in the trash can.’”

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