“Not Backed by Science:” LA County Sheriff Won’t Enforce New Mask Warrant

July 17 (Reuters) – A new mask mandate in Los Angeles County, which is due to go into effect one minute before midnight on Saturday and designed to combat the spread of COVID-19, will not be enforced by the top official in the county or its deputies.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s new mandate requires people to wear masks indoors, even if they are already vaccinated against the disease.

But Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the order is “not backed by science” and contradicts guidelines from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which does not prescribe no masks inside for most people vaccinated.

The sheriff added that he “will not spend our limited resources” and that his office is instead asking for “voluntary compliance” from the public.

The county, home to 10 million people and the nation’s second largest city, Los Angeles, is grappling with COVID-19, its Delta variant and the number of cases reaching worrying levels.

The DPH’s announcement comes after six consecutive days of more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Los Angeles County. Read more

“We demand a mask for everyone indoors in public places and businesses, regardless of vaccination status so that we can stop the increased level of transmission that we are seeing,” DPH said on Twitter Thursday. .

The county has become a place of “substantial” transmission, based on criteria set by the CDC, Los Angeles County health official Dr Muntu Davis said in remarks provided to reporters.

It was not clear whether other law enforcement agencies would also transmit law enforcement.

The Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether or not their officers would enforce the rule within city limits on Saturday.

It was also unclear what the potential fines would be. The consequences were not described in a two-page press release from the DPH.

In recent months, violations of local mask orders in California could cost anything from a first warning to fines of between $ 100 and $ 500. In Los Angeles County last year, code enforcement officers could also shut down businesses for non-compliance.

Other counties in California and other states are also grappling with spike in coronavirus cases, renewing mask recommendations

Sacramento, Yolo and Fresno counties in California recently recommended that masks be worn indoors even by people who have been vaccinated. Austin, Texas, on Thursday urged unvaccinated or high-risk people to avoid travel, indoor gatherings, restaurants and stores, and wear masks.

Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Nick Zieminski

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