Dear Peralta Community, 

Per our policy to follow Alameda County Public Health Department guidelines, masks are optional on Peralta Community College District (PCCD) property and are no longer required. People may choose to mask at any time.

PCCD remains committed to protecting the health and safety of students and employees on our campuses. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as outlined in the PCCD COVID-19 Prevention Plan (CPP), we have been following the guidance of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD).

When our Vaccination Policy was first announced in Fall 2021, we included a requirement for the wearing of face masks, also known as protective personal equipment (PPE), on all Peralta Colleges property as that was then consistent with guidance from CDC, CDPH, and ACPHD. Since the pandemic began in 2020, circumstances have changed. PCCD has invested greatly in the update of our HVAC and air filtering systems. Additionally, the federal, state, and local policy on masking has evolved.

Alameda County requires masking in certain situations but does not require masks in academic settings – see their website at https://covid-19.acgov.org/face-masks for details.  

Alameda County requires masks to be worn indoors when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high but that is not the case currently in Alameda County, where the level is low. Per CDC and ACPHD guidelines, when the community level is low, people may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask when out in public and should NOT come onto Peralta Community College District campuses.

Should circumstances change in Alameda County we will let you know but for now, the Peralta Community College District remains fully in alignment with CDC, CDPH, and ACPHD recommendations by making masks optional on our campuses.

As always, for the latest information on COVID-19 at the Peralta Community College District, please visit the Safe Peralta website at https://safe.peralta.edu.  

Thank you and be well, 

Dr. Ronald McKinley, Interim Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Employee Relations

Mark Johnson, Executive Director of Marketing, Communication and Public Relations