Coronavirus cases rise in Los Angeles County as mask rules begin

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Los Angeles County recorded more than 1,900 cases of the new coronavirus on Friday, another big jump, as mandatory mask restrictions in public places take effect Saturday night.

Over the past week, Los Angeles County has been reporting an average of more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases per day — a number that, while just a fraction of the sky-high count seen during previous increases, is still six times higher. Times than the county was watching in mid-June.

Daily case numbers jumped: 1,537 new cases were reported on Thursday, and 1,902 more were added on Friday.

The number of COVID-19 hospital admissions also doubled over the same time period, from 223 on June 15 to 462 on Thursday. More than 8,000 coronavirus patients have been hospitalized across the county during the darkest days of the winter wave.

Officials said that requiring masks for everyone provides more protection for those who are vaccinated while ensuring that unvaccinated people can no longer get around face-covering requirements in enclosed spaces.

Experts say that each infection prevented is less chance of the coronavirus mutating in potentially dangerous ways — as happened with the delta variant.

Under the county’s order, starting at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, it will be mandatory to wear masks in all indoor public places, such as theaters, stores, gyms, offices, workplaces, and in restaurants when not eating and drinking. Exceptions include children under the age of two years.

Public indoor spaces, such as theaters, stores, public spaces and shopping malls, will be affected. Mask rules will essentially go back to what they were before the county lifted them from reopening on June 15. At the time, some retailers ditched their mask rules.

The order will continue to allow in-restaurant dining operations, but will require people to keep their masks on while ordering and while they wait for food.

Despite the rise in cases and hospitalizations across the country, officials say the new infections and hospitalizations overwhelmingly involve people who are not immune. In fact, more than 97% of patients admitted to hospitals across the country with COVID-19 are not immune, said Dr. Rochelle Wallinsky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Walensky said local policymakers might consider additional measures to mask “if you have areas of low vaccination and high infection rates,” at least until vaccination rates improve in the community.

About 52% of the entire Los Angeles County population is vaccinated, and about 60% have had at least one injection. But given the region’s massive population, this still leaves millions vulnerable.

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