Mask mandate returns to LA as COVID cases spike
It’s the return of the mask.
Los Angeles County will reimpose and indoor mask mandate amid a spike in COVID-19 infection, the latest signal that health officials are grappling with an alarming rise in coronavirus cases tied to the highly contagious Delta variant.
Dr. Muntu Davis of the LA County Health Department on Thursday said he was seeing “substantial community transmission of COVID-19,” and that the requirement to mask up indoors applied whether you’ve been vaccinated or not:
“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're currently seeing.”
LA County is home to 10 million people and the nation's second-largest city, Los Angeles.
It’s one of several jurisdictions to recommend or mandate wearing masks or other pandemic restrictions in recent days as cases rise to worrisome levels in many parts of the United States.
U.S. COVID-19 infections last week rose about 11% from the previous week, with the highest increases in areas with vaccination rates of less than 40%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr. Davis said the unvaccinated are driving the current spike in LA County:
“And we urge all residents to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves, and their family and friends.”
U.S. cases plummeted in the spring as the vaccine rolled out following a winter spike in infections, but shots have slowed and only about 51% of the country has been vaccinated.
The White House is desperate to get more shots in arms. The administration this week invited pop star Olivia Rodriguez to encourage more young people get vaccinated:
"It's important to have conversations with friends and family members encouraging all communities to get vaccinated.""
And on Thursday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a health warning over online misinformation he said was contributing to vaccine hesitance and costing lives:
"Today, we live in a world where misinformation poses an imminent and insidious threat to our nation's health."
Data from the CDC show high levels of coronavirus transmission in numerous states, including Missouri, Mississippi, Florida, Nevada and Utah.
