Los Angeles close to bringing back indoor mask mandate, as COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths rise

At present, L.A. County is seeing about 10.5 new weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations for every 100,000 residents.

Published: July 15, 2022 8:01am

Updated: July 15, 2022 8:52am

A continued rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations driven by the BA.5 subvariant placed Los Angeles County into the "high" COVID level Thursday. The category shift may trigger a public indoor mask mandate that will go into effect by the end of the month.

For weeks, county officials have said the area was moving toward the numbers needed to impose a new mask mandate and as the new subvariant of omicron spreads, those numbers are closer than ever.

If the county remains in the high COVID zone for the next two weeks, a mandate order would be issued and go into effect on July 29. If L.A. falls back into the medium level during that time period, the clock would reset.

County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer says, given the ongoing rise in cases, "at this point, it’s much more likely that we will stay in 'high' for these two weeks."

"With the high rates of transmission fueling the increased risks, sensible safety precautions that can slow down the spread of the virus are warranted, and that includes universal indoor masking," she also said.

A reestablished mandate would apply for those 2 and older at such venues and establishments as gyms, bars, restaurants, schools, retail settings, though masks would not be required for outdoor spaces.

"We are not closing anything down," Ferrer said. "We are not asking people not to gather with the people they love. We are not asking you to forgo activities you love. We’re asking you to take a sensible step when there’s this much transmission, with a highly transmissible variant, to go ahead and put back on a well-fitting, high-filtration mask when you’re indoors around others. And I think that’s the prudent thing to do."

For months, health officials have recommended the practice of masking, despite no formal mandates being in place.

At present, L.A. County is seeing about 10.5 new weekly hospitalizations for every 100,000 residents. The last time L.A. was in the high community level was February.