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Los Angeles County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer (Photo: Barbara Ferrer Twitter)

LA County Health Officials Bring Back Indoor Mask Recommendations Despite Drop In COVID Cases

Health officials say that the recommendations are returning to combat the spread of the new COVID-19 delta variant

By Evan Symon, June 30, 2021 2:48 am

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced on Monday that they are now “strongly recommending” that county citizens wear masks indoors in all public areas to fight the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19.

Health officials noted that, despite only 3 COVID-19 deaths and 321 new cases being recorded on Tuesday, almost half of all cases in county are now that of the Delta variant. The mask recommendation applies to all indoor public areas where the vaccination status of people there is unknown and even includes masks for those that have been vaccinated already.

“With increase circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) strongly recommends everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places as a precautionary measure,” said the LA Public Health Department in a statement. “In the week ending June 12, Delta variants comprised of nearly half of all variants sequenced in Los Angeles County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that Delta variants are now responsible for about one in every five new infections across the country, up from approximately one in every 10 the week before.

“Public Health strongly recommends people wear masks indoors in settings such as grocery or retail stores; theaters and family entertainment centers, and workplaces when you don’t know everyone’s vaccination status. Until we better understand how and to who the Delta variant is spreading, everyone should focus on maximum protection with minimum interruption to routine as all businesses operate without other restrictions, like physical distancing and capacity limits.”

LA County goes against national trend of mask reductions

LA County’s decision to recommend masks once for indoor situations goes largely against the trend nationwide and even statewide. Most states now have few, if any, mask requirements, with California itself rolling back many mask requirements on June 15th. While some federal and state requirements still exist, such as for schools in California and travelling by plane nationwide, the massive drop in COVID-19 cases has spurred reopenings everywhere.

And while the India-originated delta variant has gone up in many states, with some states now estimating between 20% and 50% of all new cases being of the delta variant, rollbacks have not been enacted anywhere else as of Tuesday besides Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer (Photo: LA County.gov)

“While the COVID-19 vaccine provides very effective protection preventing hospitalizations and deaths against the Delta variant, the strain is proving to be more transmissible and is expected to become more prevalent,” explained L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer in a statement. “Mask wearing remains an effective tool for reducing transmission, especially indoors where the virus may be easily spread through inhalation of aerosols emitted by an infected person.”

However, the new recommendation by LA County has largely brought negative reactions, even from those that had championed public mask use only a few months ago.

“I know that they are being cautious, but there is such a thing as too cautious,” said Los Angeles nurse Becky Lobo, who had been part of a healthcare worker program to encourage mask wearing for children last year, to the Globe on Tuesday. “Rates have continued to go down, even with this new variant. People who want to be vaccinated are being vaccinated and the rest are being careful or know the risks.”

“I’m all for reducing risk, but this decision is going overboard. Even in areas where the risk is higher, this doesn’t reduce risk at all. First, most public places, like grocery stores, still require masks here. Second, vaccinations in LA County will hit 70% next month, minimalizing any risk. Third, it’s still voluntary. It all doesn’t add up and point to a need for this recommendation. All it is doing is making LA County look bad and making people worry. We’re in a good place, we’re getting better, and now you want to bring these measures back even though rates are still going down with this new variant? Even doctors I know are scoffing at this.”

As of Tuesday, it is unknown how long that the recommendation will stay in place or if the recommendation will be made mandatory at a future date.

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19 thoughts on “LA County Health Officials Bring Back Indoor Mask Recommendations Despite Drop In COVID Cases

  1. Dear Dr. Barbara Ferrer :

    You’ve had your fifteen minutes (and then some).

    Now please go away.

    Just a thought.

    VicB3

  2. This is what happens when you put a social justice warrior in charge of public health.
    I guess she “feels” this is what is good for Los Angeles.
    What a joke!
    Go pound sand, Ms. Ferrrer!
    Viruses mutate, and weaken overtime, stop scaring people!

  3. Bbbbbbbut what about the Symbionese Liberation Quadruple Covid Variant? Mask up, serfs!

    A masked populace is a subservient populace.

  4. Remember folks, this is only a recommendation, not a mandate. I refuse to wear a mask, vaccinated or not, I suggest everyone do the same.

  5. This was the plan all along, endless “variants” to keep people in poverty and turmoil. I have little doubt Noisome, Fauci and Bite Me will be screaming for a total lockdown before long.

  6. Democrats do not want to release any control over the people
    Democrats are putting together their own version of orwell’s Ministry of Plenty

    The Ministry of Plenty rations and controls food, goods, and domestic production; every fiscal quarter, it publishes false claims of having raised the standard of living, when it has, in fact, reduced rations, availability, and production. The Ministry of Truth substantiates the Ministry of Plenty’s claims by revising historical records to report numbers supporting the current, “increased rations”.

  7. Purely idiotic. LA county officials are being over cautious at best and paranoid at worst.. Yes the Delta variant is worrying in that it’s more effective but the cases has been seriously low. Even if you’d catch it, you’ll likely be ok or have a mild case. There is no reason to recommend wearing I masks indoors. If there’s such a worry, then let the older wear masks, this should not be forced on most of the population. All it just do is place fear in some businesses and then they’re gonna put restrictions back again

  8. Anyone who looks like Dr. Barbara Ferrer should NOT be allowed to make health recommendations. It’s ironic the people who got the “vaccine” are getting sick from this so called Delta variant. Personally, I suspect the only reason for the Delta variant is to lay down cover for the long term symptoms, & the up and coming fall out from the “vaccine”. It’s criminal that they are giving this to Children. Parents allowing their children to be used as lab rats…are guilty of child abuse.

  9. Everyone, including businesses, just have to SAY NO to this incompetent fool. She has NO authority to even “recommend” this. This must stop NOW or it will continue forever.

  10. Just a reminder. Barbara Ferrer’s doctorate is in Social Welfare, not medicine, virology or immunology. Her total pay in 2020 as Director of Public Health for Los Angeles County was $552,533, plus benefits.

  11. What kind of Doctor is Ms. Ferrer again, anyways???

    Is she eminently trained and able to make medical decisions based upon her experience in practice???

    No??? I thought so….

    SOoooo…. what are we gonna do when the ZETA variant shows up???? These controlling fear-mongering Democrats will NEVER give up their societal controls willingly, so it’s about time for some civil disobedience….

    You can stick your mask guidelines where the sun don’t shine, lady… (and has anyone told you that you bear an uncanny resemblance to George Washington??? (Especially in that LA County.gov photo – are those teeth ivory or wood???)

  12. The Delta variant (can’t be racist and name where it came from) is way less deadly than the original strain of the Wuhan virus. The British National Health Service published the numbers. Dr. Ferrer knows this but she wants to continue to scare you and keep you subservient. If she had been deemed “non-essential” in the first months of the virus and lost her massive paychecks this would have been over a year ago…

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