As expected, Los Angeles County will drop its indoor mask-wearing requirement for fully vaccinated people Friday after Supervisor Janice Hahn announced the pending change Tuesday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed that its masking rules will be relaxed beginning Friday, allowing vaccinated people to shed face coverings indoors at establishments that verify vaccination status. Meanwhile, the county is reporting another 36 COVID deaths and 1,934 more cases.
On her Twitter page Tuesday, Hahn wrote that the move "puts us significantly closer to aligning with the state.''
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The move is a major adjustment to the county's strict indoor mask mandate, which requires people to don face coverings in most indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. The county rule remains in force, even though the state lifted its indoor mask mandate last week.
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer previously outlined metrics that would have to be met for the county to drop its indoor mask mandate.
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Previously, Ferrer said the indoor mask rule would remain in place until:
-- the county's level of COVID transmission falls to the "moderate'' level as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and remains there for two weeks; OR
-- COVID vaccines have been available to residents under age 5 for at least eight weeks; AND
-- no emerging COVID "variants of concern'' have been identified that could spark another surge in cases.
