The newmask health order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
Long Beach, which has its own public health department, will align with L.A. County’s order. Pasadena, which also has its own health department, already recommends that everyone — including the fully vaccinated — wear masks in indoor public settings, and the city is “reviewing options for a mandate,” according to a spokeswoman.
Public indoor spaces such as theaters, stores, public venues and shopping malls will essentially revert back to mask wearing like they were before the county lifted them before the June 15 reopening. The order will continue to allow indoor restaurant dining, but it requires people to keep their masks on while they order and while waiting for food. The order does not require a reduction in business capacity or a return to mandatory physical distancing.
The University of California announced Thursday that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required before the fall term begins for all students, faculty and others, becoming the nation’s largest public university system to mandate the vaccines even though they don’t have full federal approval.
San Francisco has been a leader in imposing vaccination requirements for some. The city has ordered all workers in “high-risk settings” — such as hospitals, nursing homes and residential facilities for older people, homeless shelters and jails — to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 15. An exemption will be available for workers with valid religious and medical reasons, and they will be required to get tested for the coronavirus weekly.
Some public health experts have said effective approaches for persuading people to get vaccinated include answering questions and making the vaccine even more available to those who may not have prioritized getting the shot, either because they don’t think COVID-19 is a threat to them or because of swirling misinformation surrounding the shots.
“Relationships really matter,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, L.A. County’s director of health services. Giving people “an opportunity to ask their questions, to get fact-based information about the vaccine, to be given a chance to just talk through their concerns” is an effective approach, she added.
“One-on-one conversations — it’s very labor intensive, not always very fast, it takes time,” she said. “But that’s been the best thing that has really helped.”