For the first time on Tuesday, Los Angeles County’s top public health official publicly entertained at length the possibility of lifting the region’s mask mandate, at least in part.<\/p>\n
“With lower transmission and with more people vaccinated we are hopeful that we will be able to lift the mask mandate in settings where there is a large gathering and we know people are vaccinated,” County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said at a Board of Supervisors meeting. She quickly qualified that statement by saying it assumes Covid numbers continue to fall and that there is no new, more powerful variant of the virus. <\/p>\n
“When we introduced the mask mandate in June,” she continued, “it was related to a higher rate of transmission.” Logically, said Ferrer, a corresponding fall in rates should prompt consideration of the lifting of that mandate. “I do see that lower transmission and more people vaccinated, we’re going to be in a different space.”<\/p>\n
Supervisor Holly Mitchell, whose 2nd District stretches from Culver City to Compton, followed up by noting that the rates of infections “has not lifted equally.” <\/p>\n
Ferrer agreed. “You’re absolutely right, it’s an average,” she explained of the 7 day average rate of infections. “And it’s driven by the fact that there is so much testing going on at our schools,” where there is less infection, generally. <\/p>\n
“We have pockets where transmission is still a concern,” continued Ferrer. “Those pockets are located in communities where there are lower vaccination rates.”<\/p>\n
Given that, and given the county’s experience with the 2020 winter surge she said, “We do have to stay very focused on getting unvaccinated people their doses.” <\/p>\n
Ferrer gave no hint of a timeline for lifting the county’s public health officer order mandating masks in movie theaters, large events and restaurants. <\/p>\n
She did however say,”As Halloween approaches and Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, we hope that we can plan for gatherings and maybe even travel.”<\/p>\n
Los Angeles County reported 964 new cases on Tuesday 35 new Covid-related deaths. The county’s daily report noted that, this week, the number of infected patients in hospitals fell below 800 for the first time in months.<\/p>\n