L.A. County formally extends mask requirement on public transit

With COVID-19 case numbers steadily rising — enough to push Los Angeles County into the “medium” virus risk level — officials officially extended the mask-wearing requirement on public transit and at transportation hubs on Friday.

The county issued a health order late last month requiring masks on transit vehicles and at hubs such as airports and train stations. The requirement, however, was set to expire in a matter of days.

Instead, the county Department of Public Health announced Friday that the mandate was being extended for either another 30 days or until the county sees a sharp drop in virus transmission, whichever comes first.

Masks were previously required nationally on public transit and in transportation facilities, but a federal judge struck down the requirement last month. The county initially followed the ruling and the mandate was dropped locally, but when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opted to appeal the ruling, the county issued a new health order reinstating the requirement locally.

The requirement affects people on trains, subways, buses, taxis, ride-hailing vehicles and at bus terminals, subway stations and indoor port terminals. It also affects airports, but does not

L.A. County coronavirus cases

CASES

2,929,950

Daily cases

Cases by city and community extend to airplanes, which are under federal jurisdiction.

The extension of the transit-masking requirement comes one day after the county moved from the

DEATHS

32,074

Daily deaths

CDC's “low” community virus activity category to “medium.” The shift came when the county's cumulative weekly rate of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 200 per 100,000 residents,

HOSPITALIZATIONS

401

22 more since Wednesday

Daily hospitalizations

VACCINATIONS Fully vaccinated

(ages 5+)

76% 7,365,714

Total doses

18,840,721

reaching 202 per 100,000.

The county reported 3,180 new COVID-19 cases Friday, lifting the overall total from throughout the pandemic to 2,929,950. Another 10 virus-related deaths were also reported, raising the cumulative local death toll to 32,074.

The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus rose to 3.7%, up from 3.5% a day earlier.

Moving to the “medium” category did not trigger any immediate changes in health regulations in the county, which was already maintaining stepped-up precautionary recommendations that align with the CDC's guidelines under the “medium” ranking. Those include requiring masks on public transit and at high-risk settings such as hospitals and homeless shelters, and maintaining widespread availability of vaccines and access to testing, including at-home kits.

The county still is not mandating mask-wearing in all indoor public settings, but officials are strongly recommending the practice.

Masks would become mandatory indoors if the county slips into the “high” transmission level. Reaching that mark would require a sharp increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations.

COVID-19-related hospitalizations have been increasing in recent weeks and the percentage of emergency room visits associated with the virus crept up to 5% over the past week — up from 4% the previous week. But so far, the overall hospital statistics are still well within the CDC's parameters for the “medium” level.

Under CDC guidelines, counties in the “medium” category will move to “high” if the rate of new virus-related hospital admissions reaches 10 per 100,000 residents, or if 10% of the county's staffed hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.

The county's current rate of new COVID-19-related admissions was 3.4 per 100,000 residents, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday, and the rate of hospital beds occupied by coronavirus-positive patients was roughly 1.7%.

There were 401 coronavirus-positive patients in county hospitals as of Friday, up from 379 on Thursday and the highest number since late March. The number of those patients being treated in intensive care was 47, down from 53 a day earlier. Health officials have noted in recent weeks that the vast majority of coronavirus-positive hospital patients were actually admitted for reasons other than the virus, with many only discovering they were infected when they were tested at the hospital.

Ferrer said she remains “hopeful” that the county will avoid sliding into the “high” COVID-19 community level, but only if residents and businesses don't “shy away” from safety practices “that are known to reduce transmission,” such as indoor masking and ensuring people are up to date on vaccinations.