To combat a sharp increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County, the LA County Department of Public Health has issued an indoor mask requirement beginning Saturday, July 17, at 11:59 p.m.
Under the Order of the Health Officer issued by DPH on Friday, July 16, 2021, masks must now be worn in all indoor public settings, venues, gatherings, and businesses, including offices, retail, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state and local government offices serving the public, among others. These new requirements complement the existing DPH mandate that masks be worn by everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in the following indoor settings: public transit, transportation hubs, indoors in K-12 schools, healthcare settings, state and local correctional facilities and detention centers, and homeless shelters, emergency shelters, and cooling centers.
Under this July 16th order, businesses and venue operators or hosts of public indoor setting must now also:
- Require patrons to wear masks for all indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status; and
- Post clearly visible and easy to read signage, with or without having an employee present, at all entry points for indoor and outdoor settings to communicate masking requirements for their patrons.
Attendees of Indoor Mega Events, defined by the County as those with crowds of more than 5,000 indoors, will be required to wear a face covering while indoors.
Attendees of Outdoor Mega Events, defined by the County as those with crowds of more than 10,000 outdoors, will be required to wear a face covering when indoors or in areas where 50% or more of the structure has impermeable walls, such as concourses and concession stands.
In workplaces, the Health Officer Order will override the current Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standards and will require masking of all individuals in public settings and businesses.
Some exceptions apply. The list of those who are exempt from mask requirements is unchanged and can be found here. For more information, visit the Department of Public Health website.
OMLO will continue to monitor these developments carefully. This article is for informational purposes only and only provides an overview of specific developments. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice for any particular fact situation. For actual legal advice and specifics pertaining to your governmental entity, please contact your OMLO attorney for assistance.