L.A. County will require masks indoors amid alarming rise in coronavirus cases

[pstokely]

Source: LA Times

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.



Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-15/l-a-county-will-require-masks-indoors-amid-covid-19-surge

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what are places (if any) will reimpose them? LA did it without any federal or state recommendations, will other places now have the balls to reimpose them?

[LisaL]

1. My guess is red states won't reinstate the mask mandates regardless of how

high their covid cases go. If covid goes high in some blue states, we might see mask mandates reinstated there.

[FarPoint]

2. The problem is that the political anti-vaxxer's also won't wear a mask....

I seriously doubt that the red states, with vas numbers of anti-vaxxers not wearing mask... they will ot shut down...I predict low vaccination states will have a huge soar in covid deaths from the Delta variant by the end of September...

[LisaL]

3. That much was obvious from the start.

Anti-masker won't wear a mask unless he or she is made to wear a mask.
"Honor" system doesn't work.

[FarPoint]

14. Correct....

The anti-vaxxer tRumpsters have a completely different agenda/mission at hand....they are cult mentality and risk all of our lives...they refuse to even listen and process any information and make an informed decision...They are lock step minions from the right wing....

[Initech]

4. Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Ugh, how much longer are we going to have to deal with this shit?

[BigmanPigman]

5. Until all the GQP morons get vaccinated or sick with Covid.

The problem is that many who don't get vaxxed don't really care if this happens to them. I just read an article about their attitude here on DU.

[LisaL]

8. Anti maskers are also not going to wear masks until somebody makes them.

Thinking non vaccinated will were masks on an "honor system" was extremely naïve (to put it nicely).

[ripcord]

13. Anti vaxxers are necessary

Even flat earther's need someone to laugh at.

[mrsadm]

31. I would like to read your articles

Please share link if you can, thanks

[BigmanPigman]

32. It'll take me forever to find it

since I read DU for my news and do not use other sites. It could also have been in the comments or replies to a post. It stuck in my mind though since I hadn't really considered that someone would not care if they themselves actually get very sick.

[IronLionZion]

6. Blue cities in blue states with high community spread

It's harder for blue cities in red states, like Missouri, Texas, Florida, etc. who need it but face resistance at the state level.

Individual businesses can impose them but won't have much luck on enforcement and are guaranteed to face resistance. That's the case here in the bluest of blue, DC, where different businesses on the same block will have wildly different guidelines. I avoid restaurants with lots of people indoors unmasked. I still mask in elevators and common areas even if I'm the only one and people make snide comments about living in fear vs living in freedom.

[pstokely]

9. and LA has fairly high vax rate

other places want to focus on vaccines instead of mask enforcement, will LA County be able to enforce this>

[LisaL]

10. The reason they are doing it -their covid cases are rapidly increasing, despite

high vaccination rate.

[pstokely]

11. but what about other places?

I don't expect it any or red states but what about cities in blue states

[LisaL]

12. They will have to live (or die) with a lot of covid spreading around.

NT

[BootinUp]

7. I think earlier tough decisions are better in pandemics nt

[barbtries]

15. i'm going there next month.

LA is home and I haven't been there since Nov2019. My son, my grandsons, my daughter's grave...I'll need to check the protocols because my trip is for 8 days, so I cannot quarantine upon arrival.

sucks. this vicious virus. i won't even mention the millions of covidiots who make life that much harder for everyone else with their selfishness.

[iluvtennis]

16. It's the right thing to do, given the increased spread. n/ t

[Yavin4]

17. If they can mandate masks, why not mandate the vaccines?

Get everyone in LA county vaccinated first, and then bring back the mask mandates. A fully vaccinated person forced to wear a mask is not going to do a damn thing to stop the spread of the virus. NOTHING.

This is all theater, nothing else.

[pstokely]

18. it's politically easier to do this in a solid blue county in a solid blue state

but how was enforcement done before and how will it be done now? In other places the public health community is focusing more on increasing vaccinations rather than mask enforcement although some have put out mask advisories rather than mandates, could it this give other places the balls to reimpose mask mandates?

[Yavin4]

19. Please explain to me how mask mandates in largely vaccinated populations is going to stop the spread

How is this going to motivate anyone to get vaccinated? What L.A. county is doing is dumb.

[LisaL]

20. After CDC said we didn't need masks, what did that get us?

Covid cases are going up all over US. Did that motivate people to get vaccinated? I don't think so.

[Yavin4]

22. They're not "going up all over". They're going up primarily among the unvaccinated.

Also, positive cases is not the metric that we should be focusing on. It's negative outcomes, hospitalizations and deaths, that we should be focusing on.

The only way to end this would be to mandate the vaccines. Period. Full stop.

[LisaL]

25. Once cases go up, hospitalization and deaths will follow.

And cases are going up all over US.

"The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, with the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings."

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-us-cases-rising-03150d6404004711b80e9bd6ff0d410d

[pstokely]

28. what are the rates of those in LA County?

nt

[chowder66]

30. There are tons of tourists and people outside of LA County that come here.

Masking and distancing helped control our numbers as much as the could. Vaccinations help even more.

[somaticexperiencing]

21. Don't mind wearing a mask and don't really see why it's such a painful experience, compared with

some alternatives especially.

[Yavin4]

23. I do mind wearing a mask.

I cannot work out in my gym with one on. I cannot go out to eat in a restaurant or have a drink in a bar. It's uncomfortable to me over long periods of time.

I'm fully vaccinated, and making me wear one does absolutely nothing to stop the spread.

[LisaL]

27. Vaccinated people can still get infected and spread it around.

Especially with delta covid.

[chowder66]

29. I can't go without a mask because I'm immunocompromised.

I can't go eat out, I can't go to a gym, I'm also uncomfortable... but I have to do it and I don't mind protecting those around me.

[Yavin4]

33. Your condition would also be true for influenza

But there were no mask requirements for the flu.

[chowder66]

34. The flu doesn't typically ravage the body the way this virus does.

There are also children and others on immunosuppressive drugs that are not allowed to get vaccinated yet.
Oh and older adults. But I guess none of those count toward your consideration.

Your compassion for others is noted.

[Yavin4]

35. Masks are not some magical device that protects you from viruses.

South Korea has some of the most stringent mask requirements in the world, and their covid cases are soaring. Same is true for Australia which has frequent lockdowns and strict mask guidelines as well.

Do you want to know what those countries have in common? Sluggish vaccine rollouts.

So, to end this conversation, I am for the one solution that would save lives, including the lives of the immunocompromised, which is mandating the vaccine, not mandating masks which are not as effective as the vaccine.

But in the end, your virtue signaling and feelings of moral superiority are more important than actually solving the problem.

[C Moon]

24. The GOP obviously wants this virus to survive: they don't want President Biden being successful.

That's why so many of them are pushing not to vaccinate (in so many words).

Same goes in California: Governor Newsom is now up for a recall election, and the GOP trash is wringing its little hands with this news.
This is what they wanted all along.

[Evolve Dammit]

26. As fucked up as that sounds, I think you are correct. I really hate these "people." Didn't have to

be in this place.

[lark]

36. Death Sentence wants Floridians to get sick so the rich can make more money.

He doesn't care if millions of us die from the virus, long as no business can ask about your vaccination status. He and his rich friends are all vaccinated, although they won't tell us that for the most part, and he thinks of the rest of us as just funding sources for the billionires. I really hope people stay away and refuse to cruise from here or come to Disney World for vacations.