Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland says it’s now requiring masks indoors
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland becomes the latest major San Antonio facility to require face masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
On Thursday, July 29, the JBSA announced via Twitter its new policy is effective immediately to protect the community and prevent the further spread of COVID-19 amid another deadly spike.
According to the base, the Department of Defense requires all service members, federal and onsite contractor employees, and visitors to wear a face mask in an indoor setting in installations and other facilities owned or leased by the department.
JBSA’s mandate comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that fully vaccinated people begin wearing masks indoors again in areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates. San Antonio, which currently has a positivity rate of 17 percent, qualifies as a high transmission area based on that guidance.
On Wednesday, July 28, the San Antonio Missions announced that all visitors must don a mask inside all park buildings effective immediately.
Additionally, the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District issued a new health advisory on Wednesday in accordance with the CDC when it comes to masks. Officials are hoping it slows the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
In Bexar County, 88 percent of the positive cases are attributed to the highly contagious delta variant. The positivity rate has jumped from 13.5 percent to 17 percent in just the past week. One month ago, on June 25, the county’s positivity rate was just 3.8 percent.
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