One of the most populated cities of the U.S, Los Angeles has decided to reestablish the mask mandate. This sudden reversal of decision comes amid a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases and a much larger increase in hospitalizations. The L.A County mask mandate is all set to be reinstated from Saturday night, at exactly 11.59 pm.
In a news conference on Thursday, Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said that the renewed L. A County mask mandate will require indoor masking as well. Regardless of vaccination status, people will be asked to wear masks in all indoor settings.
In a news release posted by county health officials, Davis expressed deep grief for people who have lost their loved ones in these difficult times. He also added that these mask requirements have been put in place until a marked improvement is seen in the prevailing conditions.
Emily Woods, a resident of Los Angeles, said she isn’t surprised to hear about the L. A County mask mandate. According to Woods, the new policy makes sense with the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country.
Similarly, Dr. Edwards Blews III from Kaiser Permanente declared that the mandate is imperative for right now. Since vaccinated individuals are still at the risk of contracting the disease, setting a mandatory mask requirement may help in curbing the rapid spread of the virus.
Additionally, Blews also said that it is difficult to determine who is vaccinated and who is not. In such circumstances, many unvaccinated individuals may be entering indoor places, thus putting other people at risk.
In the words of Blews, the only solution to the problem is increasing the vaccination rate. “There’s still a significant number of individuals who remain vulnerable and the best way we can end these mask mandates and end the pandemic, as Governor Newsom mentioned, we need to improve the vaccination rates across our communities,” said Blews.
A total of 210 new cases have been recorded on June 15, as indicated in the news release. More recently, 1500 cases have been reported on Thursday, the highest total since mid-March. Moreover, the daily positivity rate in Los Angeles County has increased to 3.7% from a mere 0.5% on June 15.
