Although officials in Santa Clara County have opted not to issue orders mandating masks in public, at least one city will join six other Bay Area counties.
Milpitas, the fifth-largest city in Santa Clara County, issued an order Wednesday that took effect at 8 a.m. Friday. It largely mirrors the other countywide orders, requiring face coverings — not medical-grade masks — to be worn by all visitors and workers of essential businesses, though there were some key differences.
“By enacting this order, Milpitas is being a leader in our county. Face coverings help protect the most vulnerable in our community,” Councilwoman Carmen Montano said in a release. “We want to flatten the curve and keep our health system from being overwhelmed, and this is the best, safest way to do that. I hope all of our residents and businesses take this order seriously to protect all of us.”
The order in Milpitas adds about 80,000 people to the more than 5 million in the Bay Area required to wear coverings at essential businesses. San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin counties all issued similar orders that took effect Wednesday.
In those orders, however, violations are subject to misdemeanor charges and fines, jail time or both. In Milpitas, “violation of this order will be enforced … with education being the first step in the enforcement process,” the order states.
Complaints can be made by calling 408-586-3072 or emailing [email protected].
One service omitted from the Milpitas order: any mention of public transit. The city is served by the Valley Transportation Authority, which also hasn’t issued guidance on masks.
Other orders in the Bay Area include public transportation along with private services, such as taxis and rideshares, which do fall under the Milpitas order. Drivers and riders are required to wear face coverings while inside the vehicle.
Any essential business that has signs posted that are “visible to any customer or visitor” has the right to refuse service to any customer violating the city order, which will remain in effect until the end of the local emergency declaration.
Santa Clara, the most-populous county in the Bay Area and also its hardest-hit by COVID-19, has held out in issuing a mask mandate. As of Thursday, there were 1,987 confirmed cases in the county and 95 deaths, both highs in the region.
But health officer Dr. Sara Cody, who wears a face covering at press briefings, has continued to make it a “strong recommendation” that the county’s 1.9 million residents cover their faces in public.
In Milpitas, there were 66 confirmed cases as of Thursday, the fifth-most in Santa Clara County.
