LA County Could Delay Implementing an Indoor Mask Mandate

There is a growing movement in some cities to defy LA County's plan to bring back an indoor mask mandate.

County health experts might put those plans on pause as COVID cases and hospitalizations begin to stabilize.

It will all depend if there are significant decreases in COVID cases or hospitalizations by Thursday. If numbers just stabilize or increase the mandate would go into effect Friday.

"If we remain in the "high" COVID-19 community levels through Thursday, July 28th with no significant decreases in cases or hospital admissions we will go ahead and implement universal indoor masking on Friday, July 29th," said Barbara Ferrer the LA County Public Health Director. "To help us slow the rate of transmission and protect those most vulnerable."

Ferrer said Tuesday that if the county is at least approaching the 10 per 100,000 residents level by Thursday, it would "trigger a reassessment on the need to reimplement an indoor masking mandate."

The daily number of cases is 6,100 versus 6,700 last week. The number of people in hospitals with COVID has stabilized and the numbers are declining county-wide. Cases are also flattening and cases are also falling state-wide as well.

According to state figures, there were 1,286 COVID-positive patients in county hospitals as of Tuesday, up from 1,200 on Saturday, the last figures that were available previously. Of those patients, 134 were being treated in intensive care.

The county reported 3,547 new COVID cases Tuesday, raising the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 3,272,097. Another 17 deaths were announced, lifting the overall death toll to 32,654.

The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus was 14.9% as of Tuesday.

California reported 17,000 cases a day over the last week which is down 17% from last week.

Cities like Pasadena, Manhattan Beach, Beverly Hills, and Long Beach said they will not enforce a mandate if the county implements one.