10D TULE-VRP
Closure Order # 21-006
August 20, 2021
Closures, restrictions, and public use limits:
Restrictions and Public Use Limits: Under the authority provided to the Superintendent in 36 CFR 1.5(a)(2), the following activities are restricted in Tule Lake National Monument effective immediately, until further notice:
Regardless of vaccination status or local community transmission levels, all individuals over the age of two must wear masks, except when actively eating or drinking, in all common areas and shared workspaces in federally owned buildings administered by the National Park Service and in office space leased by the National Park Service.
Federally owned buildings administered by the National Park Service' include, but are not limited to, visitor centers, administrative offices, maintenance facilities, and shared government quarters; buildings assigned to concessioners or other park partners; and buildings leased for commercial purposes to individuals or entities other than the National Park Service.
All individuals over the age of two, regardless of vaccination status or local community transmission levels, must wear masks in the following outdoor areas when others are present, except when actively eating or drinking, where the superintendent has determined that physical distancing (staying at least six feet apart) cannot reasonably be maintained:
Masks must cover the nose and mouth and fit snugly around the nose and chin with no large gaps around the sides of the face. Masks not designed to be protective, masks with ventilation valves, and face shields do not meet the requirement.
Regardless of vaccination status, all individuals must comply with all orders regarding masks issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC prevention measures continue to apply to all travelers on public transit, regardless of vaccination status. Masks remain required on all forms of public transit that operate within parks, including busses, trains, and boats/ferries, and in transportation hubs.
Closure order #21-005 is hereby rescinded.
Authority: 36 CFR 1.5(a)(2)
Notice: This administrative order applies to all individuals subject to the regulatory authority of the National Park Service (NPS) within the boundaries of Tule Lake National Monument, including park visitors, government employees, concession employees, park residents and stakeholders.
Finding: The NPS issues this administrative order for the purposes of maintaining public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. On August 16, the NPS Deputy Director for Operations issued a memo replacing previous NPS masking requirements. Recognizing that visitors to national parks are coming from locations across the country, if not across the world, and that the majority of the United States is currently in substantial or high transmission categories, the NPS is implementing a service-wide mask requirement to promote the safety of staff and visitors. Visitors, employees, and contractors will be required to wear a mask inside all NPS buildings and in crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status or community transmission levels.
In addition to physical distancing and hand washing, masks are a critical step to help prevent people from getting and spreading COVID-19. When you wear a mask, you protect others as well as yourself.
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COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Masks are a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from reaching others.
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Masks can prevent the spread of the disease even when the wearer is not sick. This is because several studies have found that people with COVID-19 who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic) and those who are not yet showing symptoms (pre-symptomatic) can still spread the virus to other people.
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Masks may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with other people who live in your household.
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It is especially important to wear a mask indoors with people you do not live with and when you are unable to stay at least 6 feet apart because COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact with one another.
This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until further notice. The effectiveness of this order will be assessed on an ongoing basis, and the order will be modified or rescinded when conditions warrant.
