Orders & Guidance
See the latest local and state health officer orders below.
Current Local Orders
There are not currently any local health officer orders for SLO County.
Current State Orders
For an overview of all State orders and guidance, visit the California Department of Public Health Guidance Hub. This hub includes State Health Officer Orders, workplace guidance, health care guidance, education guidance, archived/historic documents, and more.
Guidance and Best Practices
See current guidance and best practices below.
Face masks: Guidance for the Use of Face Masks in California is based on recommendations, not requirements in most settings. Specific workplaces such as healthcare settings may also have their own requirements. Masking provides important protection against respiratory viruses, particularly in crowded indoor settings. | |
Events & Gatherings: | |
| Indoor Settings at High Risk for Transmission of COVID-19: Some settings are at higher risk for transmission of respiratory viruses. Such settings include long-term care facilities, adult and senior care facilities (including day programs that serve their residents), homeless shelters, emergency shelters and cooling and heating centers, and state and local adult correctional facilities and detention centers. In addition, managers of certain other settings may be aware of characteristics of their environment or participants that lead them to consider the setting to be high-risk. These settings are no longer required to follow specific local guidance to protect against the spread of respiratory viruses. You can find links to state or national guidance below, and access local resources for congregate settings. |
 | Vaccination: The updated 2024-25 influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for everyone ages six months and older. RSV vaccines are also available and recommended for older adults. Healthcare workers are strongly encouraged to receive the updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccines every year. See recommendations for healthcare workers. |
See guidance for specific industries and settings:
- Healthcare Personnel: AFL 25-01, Interim Work Exclusion Guidance for Healthcare Personnel with COVID-19, Influenza, and Other Acute Respiratory Viral Infections
- Acute Care Hospitals and Acute Psychiatric Hospitals: AFL 25-01, Interim Work Exclusion Guidance for Healthcare Personnel with COVID-19, Influenza, and Other Acute Respiratory Viral Infections
- Skilled Nursing Facilities: Recommendations for Prevention and Control of COVID-19, Influenza, and Other Respiratory Viral Infections in CA SNFs 2023-2024. Plus, see local Resources for Congregate Facilities.
- Long-Term Care Homes (not skilled nursing): Viral Respiratory Pathogens Toolkit for Nursing Homes and End of COVID-19 State of Emergency: Resuming Regular Reporting Requirements. Plus, see local Resources for Congregate Facilities.
- Adult Day Programs: End of COVID-19 State of Emergency: Resuming Regular Reporting Requirements
- Child care facilities, children’s residential care, foster family agency or home, and home care organizations: End of COVID-19 State of Emergency: Resuming Regular Reporting Requirements Plus, see local Resources for Congregate Facilities and Resources for Schools and Childcare.
- Shelters and Corrections Settings: Preventing Transmission of Viral Respiratory Pathogens in Healthcare Settings Plus, see local Resources for Congregate Facilities.
- Schools and Childcare: State of California Office of School Health Hub, Public Health Guidance for TK–12 Schools and Child Care Settings to Support Safe In-Person Services and Mitigate the Spread of Communicable Diseases, 2024-2025 School Year Plus, see local Resources for Schools and Childcare.
- General Public: Respiratory Virus Prevention
Subscribe to SLO County COVID-19 email updates to receive updates regarding new local orders, and subscribe to CDPH COVID-19 Policy Alerts for updates to California state public health officer orders and public health mandates related to COVID-19.