As new COVID cases through the state continue to climb, Los Angeles County has implemented a mask mandate and four Bay Area counties have mask recommendations, Gov. Gavin Newsom avoided a question about a possible statewide mask mandate.
According to the Sacramento Bee, when asked about a state requirement for wearing of masks, Newsom said a statewide response would be “inevitable” if cases continue to rise, without saying directly saying whether that included a mask mandate.
The County of Los Angeles re-instituted a mandate that went in effect Sunday that requires residents to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status in an attempt to stem an increase in COVID cases.
Los Angeles County reported 1,233 new COVID-19 cases Monday, marking the 11th straight day that case numbers have reached at least 1,000.
Hospitalizations are also increasing, with 544 people hospitalized and 121 people reported in intensive care units. That marks an increase of 16 hospitalizations and nine ICU cases from the previous day.
The county's cumulative total of COVID cases throughout the pandemic increased to 1,269,090. Two more fatalities were also reported Monday, lifting the county's death toll to 24,585.
Health authorities attribute the rise in positive cases to a spread of the delta variant, as well as more unvaccinated residents getting infected.
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said infections are currently five times more likely to occur among unvaccinated residents than they are to occur among those who have already received the vaccine.
Dr. Anne Simoin, an epidemiologist at UCLA, told KNX that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people need to take the virus seriously.
“Everybody has to remember that every times this virus is spreading to another person, it’s replicating,” Simoin said. “That provides that virus an opportunity to mutate, which can result in even more contagious variants.”
Under the rules of the mandate, everyone in the county is required to wear a mask when entering any indoor public establishment, including retail shops, grocery stores and restaurants.
Critics say the mask mandate could discourage others from getting the vaccine, especially since the state and the CDC guidelines state that vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mast most of the time.
On Friday, LA County Sherriff Alex Villanueva told KNX that his department will not enforce the mandate.
"I think it (the mandate) was hatched in darkness and it wasn't a collaborative effort, Villanueva said. “It doesn't have science behind it, plain and simple."
Simoin believes bringing back the mask mandate was a prudent move.
“If we want to be able to reduce the spread of this virus and reduce deaths, hospitalizations (and/or) severe illness, put your mask back on,” she said.
The Sacramento Bee reported that Newsom urged residents to get vaccinated.
"It’s as simple as this: If you’re not vaccinated, get vaccinated," Newsom said.
City News Service contributed to this report