California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed an executive order finalizing the rules around masking, social distancing and capacity limits for businesses in the state (UPDATE)
The caveats in the new rules, however, are fairly extensive for the millions of unvaccinated Californians. While one politician at Newsom’s event touted that 70% of the state’s population has been vaccinated, that number includes partial vaccinations.of state residents over age 12 have been fully vaccinated. That number would be even lower if kids under 12 were included in the estimation, which they probably should be.
There are special rules for unvaccinated people at mass gatherings. For so-called indoor mega events with an attendance over 5,000 — such as concerts, NBA games or conventions — operators much verify that attendees are fully vaccinated or have proof of a recent negative Covid test. Even with a negative test, those not fully vaccinated will still have to wear masks while the fully inoculated will not.
Business and event-venue operators can choose how to enforce those rules. According to the state, they have three options: