The order will require masking indoors regardless of vaccination status, Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in a news conference Thursday.
“We share our deepest condolences with those of you who have lost friends, loved ones, and family during this difficult time,” Davis said in a news release from county health officials. “We expect to keep masking requirements in place until we begin to see improvements in our community transmission of COVID-19. But waiting for us to be at high community transmission level before making a change would be too late.”
According to the news release, there were 210 new coronavirus cases reported June 15. On Thursday, more than 1,500 were reported, the highest total of new cases since mid-March, officials said.
About 4 million county residents are not vaccinated, officials said.
Los Angeles County has reported a total of 24,566 coronavirus deaths and 1,262,578 cases.
The Census Bureau estimates that as of July 2019, 10,000,000 people lived in the county.
