Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer revealed today that the county has officially entered the CDC’s “high” community level. Ferrer has been warning about the prospect for weeks.
If the county remains at the CDC-designated high level for two consecutive weeks, it will again impose what Ferrer called a “universal mandatory indoor mask-wearing mandate.”
See below for a list of what is currently required and what will be required if the county remains in the High category for the next two weeks.
LACDPH
Ferrer noted, however, that “We do not include gyms and yoga studios.” She asked that people in those situations mask up anyway or move activities outside where masking is not required for any of those places listed below above.
She also noted, “We’ve never issued citations for people who chose not to wear their masks,” and she didn’t seem inclined to initiate that kind of enforcement.
“I admit that when we go back to masking indoors, it will feel like a step backwards,” Ferrer admitted. “The reality is that we are living with a mutating SARS-CoV2 virus.”
Indeed, Ferrer revealed today that the first case of what is believed to be an even more immune-evasive Omicron subvariant called BA.2.75 has been detected in Los Angeles. And that’s even as Omicron BA.5 brought daily cases to levels , not seen since January, with hospitalizations and deaths also starting to rise.
While not encouraging Angelenos to panic, Ferrer emphasized, “We are saying there is a need to be concerned. This variant is highly contagious, easily transmitted. We need an extra layer of protection.
This layer, she pointed out, is a mask.
Asked if there were any circumstances under which the county would reinstate a ban on public gatherings like the one announced at the start of the pandemic, Ferrer said, “I would say probably not. But again, there is so much uncertainty with mutations. We have very good tools that would make it unlikely that we would go back to blocking. But I would never say never.”
She continued: “The caveat is if there was some mutation that really escaped the defenses we have now to prevent disease and death. Could there be some highly unusual, highly unlikely situation that would cause us to shut down? Yes, but it would be very unusual and unlikely.
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