LA Reimposes Masks as COVID Variant Hits Home

Los Angeles County is requiring the use of masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, following a jump in coronavirus cases as the delta variant spreads.

The move comes after the county added more than 1,000 new cases for a seventh straight day, with the transmission rate edging close to “high” levels from “substantial,” Muntu Davis, the county’s health officer, said in a briefing.

The new policy also makes it easier for businesses to impose the use of masks especially when it’s difficult to verify vaccination status, he added.

“We have to get these numbers down,” he said, warning of the need for stricter measures if the transmission rate doesn’t ease.

“Masking by all makes it a lot easier for this to happen, it means there’s a level playing field, and it adds that layer of protection for fully vaccinated people.”