The Los Angeles County health agency suggested to residents that they wear masks—regardless of vaccination status—due to the so-called “Delta” COVID-19 variant.
“Public Health strongly recommends people wear masks indoors in settings such as grocery or retail stores; theaters and family entertainment centers, and workplaces when you don’t know everyone’s vaccination status,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement on Monday.
The county’s recommendation comes about two weeks after Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted California’s mask mandate and ended lockdown provisions in the state.
But the agency said that the mask recommendation—which is not a mandate—is being issued because officials don’t know the exact effects or the transmission rate of the Delta variant. They also suggested that the variant might be able to lead to breakthrough COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals
“While COVID-19 vaccine provides very effective protection preventing hospitalizations and deaths against the Delta variant, the strain is proving to be more transmissible and is expected to become more prevalent,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “Mask wearing remains an effective tool for reducing transmission, especially indoors where the virus may be easily spread through inhalation of aerosols emitted by an infected person.”
The county also recommended that residents should focus on “maximum protection with minimum interruption to routine as all businesses operate without other restrictions, like physical distancing and capacity limits.” – READ MORE
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