Mask Mandate Issued For Los Angeles County Amid Coronavirus Surge

LOS ANGELES, CA — Confronted with an exponential spike in coronavirus cases, Los Angeles County is re-implementing its indoor mask mandate.

"We're not where we need to be for the millions at risk of infection here in Los Angeles County, and waiting to do something would be too late given what we're seeing now," County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said.

According to the mandate set to go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, people will be required to wear masks while indoors in public spaces regardless of their vaccination status.

Since the June 15 reopening, the county has only recommended mask-wearing indoors. The new mandate comes as Los Angeles County reported 1,537 new COVID-19 cases Thursday — the highest number of new cases in months. For a week now, the county's daily new case rate has topped 1,000. Los Angeles County health officials also reported three additional deaths Thursday.

"Wearing a mask when indoors with others reduces the risk of both getting and transmitting the virus," Davis said. "Masking indoors must again become a normal practice by all, regardless of vaccination status so we can stop the trends and level of transmission we are currently seeing."

The mask order will remain in place "until we see improvements" in case transmission, he said.

Asked if the county might consider re-implementing other health restrictions, such as capacity limits and physical distancing, Davis said that "Everything is on the table if things continue to get worse."

He said for now, mask-wearing is the "easiest thing" for people to do to help limit spread of the virus.

The mandate means customers will again be required to mask up when entering any indoor public establishment, including retail shops, grocery stores, restaurants and workplaces. Davis said indoor dining will remain open, but customers will have to remain masked while they are not eating or drinking.

Davis said the rate of virus spread in the county has officially risen from moderate to substantial, with infections five times more likely to occur among unvaccinated residents. The current seven-day average rate of daily new cases in the county is now at 7.1 cases per 100,000 residents, up from 4.8 just last week.

It's a surge driven almost entirely by the unvaccinated, spurring renewed efforts to reach the millions of Angelenos putting off the shot.

COVID-19 infection numbers have been rising steadily in recent weeks, a rise being blamed on continued spread of the delta variant of the virus, which is considered potentially more contagious than other coronavirus variants. The delta variant, which was responsible for wide-scale infections in India and parts of the United Kingdom, has been spreading domestically. Los Angeles County health officials said the delta variant has been increasing in prevalence since April. Statewide, 43 percent of sequenced COVID-19 samples last week were found to be the delta variant.

"It is clear that the Delta variant is here and spreading rapidly, overwhelmingly in our unvaccinated communities, and we need to take action now before we see uncontrollable spread," County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement. "That is why today we announced that beginning Sunday, we are taking the necessary step of reinstating a mask requirement indoors for all residents, to slow the spread once more and provide more time for people to get vaccinated. This is only a temporary action, until we can lower our cases and continue getting more people the doses they need."

For people who are unvaccinated, Solis said, "This is the most important reminder yet that this pandemic is not over, and that you remain at serious risk for getting sick, hospitalized, and ultimately, passing away."

Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez said the new mandate should be reminder to residents that the pandemic isn't over.

"This must be a wake-up call for all of Los Angeles," Martinez said. "Now is the time to do right by your family, friends and your community, follow the county's mask mandate and get the vaccine."

As frustration and despair set in over this preventable surge, authorities grapple with the way forward. For now, health officials are doubling down on outreach efforts targeting communities with low vaccination rates.

"I cannot impress upon you more the power of getting vaccinated," Gov. Gavin Newsom said during an appearance Wednesday in Bell Gardens. "If we want to extinguish this pandemic, this disease, we've got to get vaccinated. Period. Full stop. You're seeing again around the rest of the world — read the headlines in Indonesia right now. Read the headlines in Portugal right now. Read the headlines in the United States of America right now."

City News Service contributed to this report.