LOS ANGELES (KNX) — If hospital rates continue to decline in Los Angeles County, residents could soon be able to do without their masks in outdoor settings and at mega events, health officials said. But it’s going to take some time to get there.
Barbara Ferrer, director of the Department of Public Health, said Thursday that the County already has a plan in place for reduced mask policies post-surge. In order to implement it, she said L.A. County will need to see COVID hospitalizations drop below 2,500 for seven consecutive days.
While hospitalizations continue to decline, in the last week health officials have reported more than 3,200 hospitalizations each day. Friday, the county reported 15,427 new cases of COVID-19 and 3,233 hospitalizations. So there’s still some work to go before Ferrer said she can call L.A. “post-surge.”
The good news is, with both case and hospitalization numbers down significantly in the last week, health officials are comfortable sharing what a post-surge world would look like.
Once L.A. is recording COVID hospitalizations below 2,500 for seven consecutive days, masking will no longer be required in outdoor space or at outdoor mega events, Ferrer said. “Mega events” are defined as gatherings with 5,000 people or more.
The criteria will also loosen restrictions for childcare and K-12 schools, where they will be allowed to remove their masks when in outdoor spaces.
Post-surge though, does not mean Angelenos will be allowed to do away with masks entirely, Ferrer said.
Even after hospitalizations reach the requirement and transmission have lowered, the County will continue to enforce masking in several scenarios, including:
- Indoor spaces of all TK-12 schools, childcare facilities and youth settings
- Indoor healthcare settings
- Indoor homeless and emergency shelters, including cooling centers, as required by the state or local regulations
- When riding public transit and in transportation hubs, as required by federal regulations
- All indoor establishments, such as offices, worksites and events
The caveat to the last bullet, indoor establishments, workplaces and events, is that the mask policies will only be in effect until L.A. County has two consecutive weeks at or below the CDC’s definition of moderate transmission (less than 50 cases per 100,000 people in seven consecutive days) and no reports of significant new COVID variants that threaten vaccine effectiveness, Ferrer said.
In addition, employers will continue to be responsible for supplying workers with high-quality, well-fitting masks if they are in close contact with others until L.A. County is at moderate transmission.
The policies, Ferrer said, are in place as L.A. continues to experience and overwhelmed health care system.
“One of the most harmful consequences of this winter surge has been the extraordinary pressure on the healthcare system,” she said. “Forcing many hospitals to postpone routine services and divert patients to other settings.”
To prevent that strain post-surge, Ferrer said masking will continue to be a key mitigation strategy to prevent transmission and another surge.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Related
Related
