Pasadena’s Relaxed Indoor Mask Mandate Is Now In Effect

Only individuals who are not fully vaccinated are required to mask in all indoor public settings in Pasadena as of Saturday morning.

Pasadena’s newly-revised health order allows business patrons to simply self-attest to their vaccination status, without any formal verification process, but businesses can choose to require verification of customers’ vaccination status or require all patrons to wear masks.

Masks will continue to be required indoors at schools under a state requirement that is expected to be re-evaluated Monday.

Cal-OSHA still requires employers to provide employees who are not fully vaccinated with face coverings and to ensure they are properly worn over the nose and mouth when indoors and in vehicles.

Under federal rules, masks continue to be required indoors aboard public transit, in healthcare facilities and at homeless shelters, long-term care centers and emergency shelters.

Pasadena’s amended masking order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, a day after Los Angeles County eased its face-coverings rule and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced amended COVID guidelines that dropped its recommendation for indoor mask-wearing in much of the country.

Pasadena’s order differs slightly from the County approach because it is less restrictive in allowing for additional options for vaccine verification, including self-attestation, in most businesses and public areas.

Under the County’s new face-covering rules that took effect Friday, vaccinated people will be able to shed masks at indoor businesses that verify the vaccine status of all patrons. The County’s rule puts the burden on individual businesses to verify that all customers permitted indoors are either fully vaccinated or can provide proof of a recent negative COVID test.

Meanwhile, the Pasadena Public Health Department reported 33 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one probable case on Thursday. There were no additional COVID-related deaths. Pasadena’s total pandemic-related death count remains just below 400, at 398.

Huntington Hospital recorded a total of 27 COVID-positive patients of whom 9 were in the ICU as of Thursday. 42 percent of all these patients were unvaccinated, the hospital said.