Indoor Masking Strongly Advised to Protect Most Vulnerable Residents

Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC COVID-19 Community Levels framework, Los Angeles County remains at the high community level the week ending July 29. However, there are indications that LA County may very soon be moving to the medium community level. Given the latest trends in cases and hospitalizations, Public Health is not instituting universal indoor masking at this time.  

LA County’s 7-day case rate, while still elevated at 426 weekly cases per 100,000 people, declined from  481 weekly  cases per 100,000 people last week. Using the most recent hospitalization data, LA County is experiencing a rate of 9.7 new hospitalizations for LA County, which suggests that by next Thursday, assuming rates stay stable or decline, CDC will designate LA County at the medium community level. 

Although Public Health did not issue a new health officer order to require universal indoor masking because of the improvements in hospital metrics, given the continued high rate of transmission, wearing masks indoors in public spaces will reduce risk and limit spread.

Masking is still required in many settings throughout the county under the existing state and LA County Health Officer orders.

Masks are required in all health care settings, on public transportation, such as buses and trains, and transit hubs, as well as at long-term care settings, shelters, cooling centers, and correctional facilities. Masks are required for 10 days for anyone recently diagnosed with, or exposed to, COVID-19, when they are around other people.

And while LA County still is in this surge, indoor masking is very strongly advised everywhere else: in shared office spaces, in other work settings like manufacturing, in retail settings (whether you work there or are shopping), indoors at schools, and when you are in any indoor space, unless you are actively eating or drinking.

As a reminder, businesses and institutions are permitted to require indoor masking while people are on their premises, and this remains a sensible action to take during times of high transmission.