Community-Based Organizations FAQs

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• Do I still need to wear a mask? What about if I am vaccinated?

  Masks are not required for fully vaccinated individuals, except in the following settings where masks are required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status:

  • On public transit[1] (examples: airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares) and in transportation hubs (examples: airport, bus terminal, marina, train station, seaport or other port, subway station, or any other area that provides transportation)
  • Indoors in K-12 schools[2], childcare[3] and other youth settings.
    • Note: This may change as updated K-12 schools guidance is forthcoming, pending updates for K-12 operational guidance from the CDC.
  • Healthcare settings [4] (including long term care facilities[5]) 
  • State and local correctional facilities and detention centers[6]
  • Homeless shelters[7], emergency shelters[8] and cooling centers[9]

  Additionally, masks are required **  for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses (examples: retail, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, state and local government offices serving the public).

   

  Exemptions to masks requirements

  The following individuals are exempt from wearing masks at all times:

  • Persons younger than two years old. Very young children must not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation.
  • Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a mask. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a mask could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance.
  • Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
  • Persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.

   

  For additional information, individuals should refer to CDC Recommendations for Safer Activities (see CDPH Masking Guidance Frequently Asked Questions for more information). 

• Can businesses still require employees and customers to wear face coverings?

  According to the CDPH Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings, in settings where masks are required only for unvaccinated individuals, businesses, venue operators or hosts may choose to:

  • Provide information to all patrons, guests and attendees regarding vaccination requirements and allow vaccinated individuals to self-attest that they are in compliance prior to entry.
  • Implement vaccine verification to determine whether individuals are required to wear a mask. 
  • Require all patrons to wear masks.

  No person can be prevented from wearing a mask as a condition of participation in an activity or entry into a business.

   

  Businesses can also still require employees to wear face coverings. According to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards, employers can have policies that are stricter than those outlined in the Emergency Temporary Standards. 

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• What about resources specifically for undocumented people?

  Documentation status does not matter from the perspective of health care access and service. Anyone can be seen by any of our community clinics, or they can call the triage line and get the treatment or care they deserve and are entitled to.

• Is there any assistance with supplies such as cell phones for clients so they can get in touch with us and we with them?

  There are free government cell phones available for those who are eligible, such as through TAG Mobile, which offers free lifeline smartphones in San Diego with unlimited talk, global messaging, and 3GB LTE data every month. In order to be eligible, however:

  • You should be a resident of San Diego, CA.
  • You must be participating in one of the listed Eligible Subsidy Programs or have an income that is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level and can provide valid proof of participation. 
  • No one in your household is currently receiving any other LifeLine offering from TAG or another LifeLine provider.  
  • You can provide valid photo identification.
  • If required, you can provide valid proof of current address.

  You can find out more at TAG Mobile.

• Who can people experiencing homelessness call for resources?

  Resources are available through 211 San Diego, such as food, health services, utilities, housing, financial assistance, as well as other types of resources. You can call 2-1-1 or go to https://211sandiego.org/ for more information. 

• How the County inform Refugee and Immigrants for any new updates of COVID-19 who have lower English proficiency or speak different languages?

  The County of San Diego is committed to ensuring that every San Diegan, regardless of the language they speak, have access to the resources they need to stay safe during this crisis.  Our site has multilingual resources on COVID-19, including Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Chaldean. You can also use the Google translator widget on the County's website to translate the entire page into any supported language. You find those at Coronavirus-sd.com. To get more information about our Partner Relay, reach out to: SDpartnerrelay@sdcounty.ca.gov.

• Is there assistance available for non-profits that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?

  Please visit Coronavirus-sd.com for a list of resources organized by sector, including resources listed on the Businesses and Employers Sector Website. For more information, you can visit the San Diego Workforce Partnership at workforce.org or visit the U.S. Small Business Administration at https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options.