Indoor mask requirement in LA County looms again as COVID cases keep surging

[pstokely]

Source: City News Service

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- COVID-19 infections continue surging in Los Angeles County, with the rising rates of new cases and hospital admissions again pushing the county into the "medium" COVID activity level, the public health director said Thursday, adding that another indoor masking mandate could be imposed soon.

County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said the county is now averaging more than 2,700 new COVID infections per day, a 180% increase since Nov. 1. Daily virus-related hospital admissions are at 192 per day, a 200% jump since Nov. 1.

"There is this common line of thinking that the pandemic is over and COVID is no longer of concern, but these numbers clearly demonstrate that COVID is still with us," Ferrer said.

"Given both the increases in hospitalizations and the lack of certainty in the winter trajectory for COVID-19, continuing some common-sense mitigation strategies that we know work to limit transmission and illness, including masking and being up to date on vaccines and boosters, remains a very sensible approach."

Read more: https://abc7.com/covid-19-indoor-masking-la-county-mask-mandate/12516325/

[NullTuples]

1. Wacky idea, I know but...why not require masks *before* it gets bad?

[Skittles]

3. because stupid, selfish assholes don't want to wear them

soooo many assholes these days.....

[NullTuples]

6. That's where the "require" comes in.

Especially with CSPOA Villanueva getting ousted by a margin of...was it 260,000 votes?

[ZonkerHarris]

2. I still wear my masks indoors, everywhere.

[BigmanPigman]

5. Same here!

Especially if I go near a doctor's office or lab. My primary care doctor said that is not being paranoid but smart when I mentioned it to him a month ago.

No one is wearing them in San Diego. Unbelievable. I mask to protect ME!

[Warpy]

4. We never had a reinstituted mask policy

but since NM has had an outbreak lately, I've seen a lot of people wearing them, anyway. And I haven't seen a single jackass trying to complain about that.

I got the Omicron booster 3 weeks ago.

Plus, it looks like a lot of areas, including my own county, have seen the peak and now it's decreasing. The vax rate is 93%, so we haven't seen a spike in deaths, only a modest spike in hospitalizations.

The flu, on the other hand, is a real stinker of a strain this year. I'd advise everybody to get a flu shot if they can.

[republianmushroom]

7. LIKE

[beaglelover]

8. I don't see them mandating masks again. More people are masking in los angeles in the last

2 weeks on their own. No need to mandate it. People need to do what they are comfortable with to protect themselves. If you want to wear a mask, wear one. No one is stopping you.

[pstokely]

9. it would probably be a mandate in name only

they'll just post signs that will mostly be ignored

[beaglelover]

10. Last time they threatened to bring back the mask mandate in L.A. county, several large cities in

the country, like Long Beach and Pasadena, said they would not comply. They have their own health departments so they don't have to comply with L.A. County health mandates. Then a few days before the mask mandate was to take effect the COVID numbers miraculously improved so the mask mandate never took effect. Thank goodness.

I imagine these same cities will balk at a mask mandate should a new one come to pass. People are sick and tired of being told what to do regarding their health. If you want to wear a mask to feel more protected, go for it. No one is stopping you.

America, land of the free and home of the brave!