LA County to relax indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people
LOS ANGELES - Vaccinated Angelenos may soon be able to ditch the masks indoors.
According to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, the county will exempt vaccinated individuals from the indoor mask mandate if the indoor spaces ask for proof of vaccination.
Hahn says the change could take effect as soon as Friday, February 25.
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Heading into this week, Los Angeles County was the only Southern California county to keep the indoor mask mandate. Governor Gavin Newsom's office allowed the statewide mask mandate to expire after February 15.
Prior to letting the mandate expire after February 15, Newsom's office brought back the statewide indoor mask requirement in December 2021 after the omicron variant cases surged across California. The state extended the mask mandate in January 2022 before announcing earlier in the month that it will expire after 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to the governor's office, unvaccinated individuals will still be required to wear masks in indoor public settings. Californians, regardless of the county they live in, must still mask up in K-12 schools, public transportation and nursing homes.
As of Tuesday evening, Los Angeles County officials did not specify if the indoor mask mandate will eventually or soon be eliminated entirely for all Angelenos. County officials also did not specify what unvaccinated individuals can or can't do if they do not have proof of vaccination but area wearing masks.
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