Latest updates:

MOST VACCINATED CALIFORNIANS SHOULD WEAR MASKS INDOORS: Under the CDC's new mask recommendations, vaccinated people in 45 California counties -- including San Mateo and Santa Clara -- are advised to wear masks in public indoor places. The California Department of Public Health has aligned with the CDC's guidance. Read the full story.

STATE, HEALTH CARE WORKERS MUST SHOW PROOF OF VACCINATION: Amid climbing numbers of hospitalizations and a test positivity rate of 80% for the COVID-19 delta variant, state employees and health care workers must show proof of vaccination, state officials announced Monday. Read the full story.

SAN MATEO COUNTY REQUIRES FACE MASKS AT COUNTY FACILITIES: Face coverings are required at San Mateo County facilities "out of an abundance of caution" due to rising COVID-19 case rates. Read the full story.

SEVEN NEW 'BREAKTHROUGH' COVID CASES REPORTED AT STANFORD: Seven vaccinated students at Stanford University have tested positive for COVID-19 this week, university leaders said in an announcement to students and staff on Thursday. Read the full story.

SANTA CLARA COUNTY URGES EMPLOYERS TO IMPLEMENT VACCINATION POLICY: As the Bay Area experiences an increased rate of COVID-19 cases, particularly among the unvaccinated population, three county health officers urged employers on Thursday to consider implementing a vaccination mandate in the workplace. Read the full story.

SAN MATEO COUNTY TO START REQUIRING FACE MASKS AT COUNTY FACILITIES: Starting Monday, July 26, face coverings will be required at San Mateo County facilities "out of an abundance of caution" due to rising COVID-19 case rates, the county announced. Read the full story.

YOUR COVID-19 VACCINE QUESTIONS — ANSWERED: We've compiled a list of who can currently get vaccinated in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, plus answers to common questions and links to resources. Read the full Q&A.

COVID-19 TESTS AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT: Santa Clara County is operating appointment-only COVID-19 test sites on a rotating basis. View the full list.

The California Department of Public Health formally recommended Wednesday that state residents resume wearing a face covering indoors, regardless of their vaccination status.

The recommendation comes one day after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued similar guidance for people who live in areas with high COVID-19 case and transmission rates.

According to CDPH officials, more than 90% of the state's population lives in areas with "substantial or high" transmission of the virus, driven primarily by the ultra-contagious delta variant and a wave of new cases that are almost exclusively among the unvaccinated.

"The delta variant has caused a sharp increase in hospitalizations and case rates across the state," CDPH Director and state Public Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragon. "We are recommending masking in indoor public places to slow the spread while we continue efforts to get more Californians vaccinated."

Public health officials in 10 of the 11 counties in the greater Bay Area, the exception being Solano County, issued similar guidance over the last two weeks, urging residents to wear face coverings inside public places like grocery and retail stores, theaters and family entertainment centers, especially those which are not requiring vaccination for entry.

Some jurisdictions like San Mateo County have taken the step of requiring masks indoors at county facilities like offices and clinics.

The state has also announced that students will be required to wear masks in class regardless of their vaccination status when the fall term begins.

In Santa Clara, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties, public health officials have urged employers to go one step further and mandate that their employees get vaccinated or be subject to frequent COVID-19 testing, arguing that people are now faced with the choice of getting vaccinated or contracting the coronavirus.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also announced this week that state employees and health care workers will be required to get vaccinated if they haven't already or get tested at least once a week.

State and local officials have so far shied away from committing to a full vaccination mandate, instead opting to work with community-based organizations to persuade eligible residents to get vaccinated and frequently reiterating the vaccines' safety and efficacy at preventing severe illness and death.

"We're mindful that there are a lot of people that are still anxious, a lot of people that still need to work with doctors and private settings to work through those anxieties," Newsom said Tuesday.

Newsom has frequently argued that potential mask and vaccination mandates will be unnecessary provided that enough residents get vaccinated to quell new outbreaks of the virus.

State residents can visit myturn.ca.gov or myturn.ca.gov/clinic.html to find a vaccination clinic near them.

For coverage by subject — how the virus is affecting public health, residents, schools, cities, businesses, nonprofits, arts groups, etc. — please go to our Wakelet page.

View an archive of previous updates here.