Faced with a distressing rise in coronavirus cases, Los Angeles County will again require residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces — regardless of their vaccination status.
The new order, which comes a little more than two weeks after the county recommended the same protocols as a precaution, will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, according to the county‘s health officer, Dr. Muntu Davis.
Some exceptions will apply, Davis said, but the order will be similar to the requirements that were in place prior to California’s June 15 reopening.
“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 will be too late given what we’re seeing now,” Davis told reporters Thursday.
L.A. County has seen a steep increase in coronavirus cases of late. During the weeklong period that ended Wednesday, the county reported an average of 1,077 new cases each day — a 261% hike from two weeks prior, according to data compiled by The Times.
On Thursday, Davis reported 1,537 additional cases.
An uptick in cases, combined with the presence of the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus, was behind L.A. County’s urging in late June that all residents wear masks in public indoor spaces.
Cases have increased rapidly since then, and Davis said more direct intervention is needed.
