Want LA To Stay Open? Then Wear A Mask, Health Official Says

LOS ANGELES, CA — A day after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide mask mandate and Los Angeles surpassed the grim milestone of 3,000 coronavirus deaths, the county's top health officials sought to get through the mask holdouts.

In a nutshell, it's about protecting those around you, and if that isn't enough, it's how businesses will be allowed to reopen and stay open, said Barbara Ferrer, the county's public health director. Los Angeles is still very much in need of protective measures including masks and social distancing, said Ferrer. The county on Friday reported another 38 deaths due to the coronavirus, lifting the county's total to 3,063. The county also recorded another 1,414 confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the overall total to 79,609. The number of new cases and deaths continues to rise.

"I get a lot of questions about why this is important, especially from individuals who are not worried about becoming infected themselves," public health director Barbara Ferrer said. "The important issue here is that we're not asking you to wear the face covering to protect yourself. We ask you to cover your mouth and nose to protect others, especially since you can be infected with COVID-19 and have no symptoms of illness.

"... Even if you tested negative, that negative test result only tells you your status the day you were tested," she said. "You could easily become infected the very next day and unknowingly pass COVID-19 onto others."

Los Angeles County has had a mask mandate in place since mid-May, while the city of Los Angeles requires masks at all times outside the home. However, a walk through the city streets make it apparent that fewer people are minding the mandate in recent weeks.

Some opponents of mask requirements, particularly in Orange County, have loudly protested that they are an imposition on personal freedom, and incite fear among the populace, preventing people from visiting local businesses.

But Ferrer stressed the urgency for people to wear the masks anytime they are associating with people outside their own households, saying it will prevent a reversal of downward trends in coronavirus spread. And she said it will ensure that businesses can remain open.

As more businesses reopen, Los Angeles County health officials Friday offered assurance that local indicators tracking the pace of coronavirus (as opposed to the raw numbers) were continuing to decrease or hold steady. While the numbers of deaths and cases continued to rise, Ferrer outlined statistics showing that key indicators of the virus' spread -- most notably the rate of deaths and hospitalizations -- were trending in the right direction.

She noted that the county's seven-day average of deaths has been declining since mid-April, and said the average number of daily deaths has dropped from 45 or 46 in early May to between 20 and 30 now.

Hospitalization rates also steadily declined and have plateaued, she said. She noted that there has been a slight increase in hospitalizations in the past few days, but that could be a result of hospitals testing everyone who comes into the facility, regardless of why they are there.

Ferrer said county officials will be keeping close watch on the hospitalization numbers.

But she also noted that the availability of hospital rooms and ICU beds is adequate to handle demand, and hospitals have sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers.

Ferrer said those indicators are all used when county officials decide whether to allow more businesses to open. The county's health order was relaxed Friday morning, allowing businesses such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, bars, casinos and spas to reopen.

"The most important data continues to be looking at our death data and our hospitalization data and our rate of positivity," she said. "As I just showed you, all of the indicators really point to the fact that we are fairly stable, and that we in fact continue to slow the spread of COVID-19. ... As we reopen, we need to be particularly careful to do everything we can, both individually and as businesses, to make sure our environments are as safe as possible. If we continue to do that, we'll continue to have success on the re- openings."

The rate of people testing positive for the virus was 8% as of Friday, a number that has remained largely unchanged for weeks.

Ferrer said if any of the key indicators begin rising, the county will have to consider whether to reimplement restrictions.

"We cannot overwhelm the health system," she said.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.