San Francisco has a high vaccination rate — nearly 90% of eligible residents have received at least one dose.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is exempting San Francisco from a rule that takes effect Wednesday requiring all people to wear masks indoors in a bid to contain a troublesome rise in coronavirus cases.

The city health department says San Francisco will continue to allow fully vaccinated people to remove their masks in gyms and workplaces. San Francisco has a high vaccination rate — nearly 90% of eligible residents have received at least one dose.

But other counties have much lower rates and the state is concerned that they will be at risk as the omicron COVID-19 variant surges. There’s also concern that the virus will spread during holiday gatherings.

UPDATE: @CAPublicHealth has further refined its indoor masking requirements since Monday. This means that stable cohorts of 100% fully vaccinated people in settings like workspaces and gyms will continue to be allowed to remove masks. (1/3)

— SFDPH (@SF_DPH) December 15, 2021

The mandate will last from Dec. 15, 2021 to Jan. 15, 2022. California residents outside of San Francisco, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask in all indoor, public settings.

Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said during a press conference Monday announcing the month-long mandate was due in part to a 47% increase in coronavirus cases since Thanksgiving.

More information about the indoor mask mandate can be found at the California Department of Public Health website.

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The number of COVID fatalities in the US has exceeded 800,000 – the highest reported number of any country in the world. Figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University yesterday confirmed that the total number of virus-related deaths is roughly equal to the populations of Minneapolis and Cleveland combined.

It comes almost a year after the country launched its vaccination campaign and amid the uncertainty of the new variant of Omicron, which early studies found could bypass antibodies in double-vaccinated people. Information so far has led experts to speculate that this variant spreads faster than Delta, but that the symptoms are milder. The same experts stress that it is too early to draw any concrete conclusions.

Meanwhile, countries in Europe are grappling with how to respond to the variant, with some opting for bans and others adopting vaccine passports. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson comes under significant pressure over new restrictions last night after a major rebellion by his own party when Omicron sweeps the country.

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