The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will not reinstate a universal indoor mask mandate, the department announced today, citing slowing COVID-19 transmission countywide.
Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, during a weekly COVID-19 briefing on Thursday, July 28, said that LA County’s data — differing from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data — is showing a decrease in the spread of the virus and hospitalizations as a result.
“Any indication that the county would soon be moving to the medium community level would be a good reason to not move forward with universal indoor masking, which is what we are doing today,” Ferrer said. “We we will be pausing and not moving forward at this time.”
Ferrer said the county may move back into medium community transmission as early as next Thursday, though that determination will have to wait until the county receives the CDC’s most recent COVID-19 data.
Riverside and San Bernardino counties, meanwhile, dropped back into the CDC’s medium community level on Thursday, July 28
L.A. County had foreshadowed the mandate’s return two weeks ago, as rising coronavirus case and hospitalization rates climbed, fueled by two highly contagious — but less-severe — omicron subvariants.
Those increases sent the county into the high-transmission tier, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on July 15. At that point, Ferrer said the county would reimpose the indoor mask mandate on Friday, July 29, unless the metrics improved.
Three metrics determine a county’s transmission, as defined by the CDC: New COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people over the past seven days, and the percent of staffed inpatient hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.
Because the county’s new case rate as long been greater than 200 people per 100,000 residents, the threshold for moving into the high-transmission tier was either 10 or more new COVID-19 hospitalizations over a seven-day period or the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients hitting at least 10% over seven days.
The county moved into the high tier on July 14, when hospital admissions hit 10.5 people per 100,000 residents. The proportion of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-19-positive patients, meanwhile, was about 5.4%.
A week later, on July 21, the former metric had climbed to 11.7.
But today, Ferrer said, DPH opted to use the county’s own in-house data to make the call on whether to implement a new mask mandate — as opposed to waiting for the CDC’s updated next Thursday. LA County’s data is two days ahead of the CDC’s, Ferrer said, accounting for the week ending on July 27.
The CDC’s data, which accounts for the seven-day period ending on July 25, shows the county’s hospitalization rate at 11.5 per 100,000 people. LA County’s data, ending on July 27, shows a much lower rate at 9.7 per 100,000 people — which, if confirmed by the CDC next week, would move the county back into medium community transmission.
“Their data is a little older than ours — once that catch up and make their adjustments, we’re feeling pretty confident that we should be in that medium level as of Thursday,” Ferrer said.
LA County’s other hospitalization metric — the number of inpatient hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients — is also lower than the CDC’s as of July 27, Ferrer said.
The county’s current hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, based off their own data, was at 6.3% — as opposed to the CDC’s 7.2%, Ferrer said. Both agency’s numbers fall below the high community transmission distinction.
About 43% of the current COVID-positive hospital patients are being treated for COVID-19 symptoms, Ferrer said. Of those, 12% are being treated in intensive care and 7% are on a ventilator.
There were 18 new COVID-19 deaths as of July 28. The county averaged 15 daily deaths this week, Ferrer said, a slight increase from the 13 daily average reported last week.
“The most disheartening misinformation being circulated is the idea that almost no one dies from COVID now,” Ferrer said. “This ignores the very real suffering and pain of those that are losing family members to COVID and it ignores the brutal mortality rate that’s still associated with this pandemic.”
More than 4,300 people have died from the virus in the first half of 2022 alone, Ferrer said — more than the combined deaths attributed to drug overdoses, seasonal influenza, and car accidents.
As the date for the mandate’s renewal drew closer, that county health officials faced intense pushback — from cities, businesses and even their bosses on the Board of Supervisors.
“I am pleased with the Department of Public Health’s decision to not reinstate an indoor masking mandate in our County,” said LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger in a July 28 statement. “Unenforceable mandates don’t work. We must continue to marshal our mandates and resources effectively in the fight against COVID-19.”
Barger added that the Los Angeles county is better off focusing on promoting COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, increasing access to COVID-19 treatments, and continuing to educate the public about the benefits of masking.
“I am comfortable leaving this decision in the public’s very capable hands,” Barger said.
County Supervisor Hilda Solis also issued a statement saying she thought it was “prudent” for the county to pause a possible new mask mandate — but she also had harsh words for people who lashed out at Ferrer and other health officials over the suggestion of a new mandate.
“There is no place for the hateful rhetoric and threats that have been directed at our public health experts who have dedicated all their time and energy to keeping our county’s residents healthy and safe,” Solis said. “While there may be disagreements, we must treat one another with dignity and respect, and I ask as always that our residents continue to look out for one another to keep our communities healthy and safe.”
Cities within LA County, leading up to DPH’s announcement, said they wouldn’t enforce a universal mask mandate.
The Beverly Hills and El Segundo city councils voted not to enforce a mask mandate earlier this week— though neither has its own health department and ostensibly falls under the Department of Public Health’s Authority.
“I’m cautiously optimistic and hopeful that they’re (DPH) going to make reasonable decisions going forward,” said El Segundo Mayor Drew Boyles in a Thursday interview.
Notwithstanding a significant uptick in COVID-19 transmission, Boyles added, El Segundo will continue to shift city resources away from enforcing COVID-19 masking indoors. He noted that El Segundo, home to LAX international airport, will likely avoid becoming a COVID-19 hotspot so long as the surrounding communities continue to mask up indoors.
“We want people to make up their own mind,” he said, “And don’t want business to suffer more than they already have by having to enforce” mask wearing.
Long Beach and Pasadena, as of July 28, also said that they had no current plans to reimpose a mask mandate — though each noted that could change as the situation dictates. Both have their own health departments and can differ from county policies.
Despite some relief that the county won’t be imposing universal mask mandate yet, others continue to hail indoor masking as a sensible mitigation measure to prevent the virus’ spread.
Under LA County’s current public health order, masks are still required in all healthcare settings, on public transportation and in transit hubs, and in homeless shelters and correctional facilities.
“Although we will not be issuing a new health officer order today to require universal indoor masking,” Ferrer said, “the continued high rate of transmission does call on all of us to wear masks indoors in public spaces in order to help limit spread.”
Ferrer said indoor masking everywhere else is “very strongly advised” while LA County remains in its current COVID-19 transmission surge.
Dr. Bahman Chavoshan, director of respiratory care at St. Mary Medical Center Long Beach, said he believes masking is key for limiting the spread of infection — but understands the County’s decision to not impose a mandate.
“If you mandate it, there may be some backlash,” Chavoshan said. “But if you make it voluntary, with enough information so people understand its importance, I think is a better approach.”
In Pasadena, leading infectious disease expert at Hunting Hospital Dr. Kimberly Shriner, said masking up indoors is a sensible — and easy — way to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
“We know that masks work and we know that masks help decrease the spread of disease, and during surges it is helpful to have more people masked,” Shriner said. “That being said, we know there’s an abundance of disease out there because everybody knows somebody – if not 10 people – that have had COVID.”
But despite those facts, Shriner said, she understands that many folks are burnt out on wearing masks.
“I really do — but it’s such an easy, simple and very safe thing to do,” she said, noting that public health experts still don’t understand the full story of COVID-19’s long-term health impacts. “So if you can avoid it by wearing a mask then wear a mask — it’s not that big of a deal to do.”
Ferrer added that even though the LA county’s COVID-19 transmission appears to be on the decline, DPH will continue monitoring the data for any significant increases in community spread.
“Should we see another big increase in cases and increases in hospital admissions, which we don’t think is likely for the very immediate future but could happen a week from now,” Ferrer said, “We would have to go back and reassess.”
Staff writers Brennon Dixson, Clara Harter and Tyler Evains contributed to this report.
Source: Orange County Register
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