Los Angeles lifts indoor-mask mandate

Face-coverings can now be taken off for vaccinated individuals while inside, but at Valley College, noses and mouths will remain covered.

By Matthew Royer, News Editor

Los Angeles County allows vaccinated citizens to go maskless in doors, following in the footsteps of California, which rolled back its mandate last week.

On Friday, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a shift of policy citywide, following suit with the state and CDC. Under the city’s latest guidelines, individuals in Los Angeles County can ditch masks indoors if they can prove vaccination status to the establishment they are visiting. While the policy comes under the trust of an honor code for businesses and citizens alike, this is not the first time Los Angeles has lifted its indoor mask mandate. According to LA Eater, the city lifted the guidelines last June but quickly re-established them after the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in July. On Thursday, LA Public Health Director Barbara Ferer spoke on the changes.

“This allows, in places where you’re verifying that people are either fully vaccinated or they have that negative test result, that then it’s a safer environment where those who are fully vaccinated can go ahead and [remove] their masks,” said Ferer according to CBS 2 Los Angeles.

While changes were made citywide to the mandate, as of now, shifts in LACCD’s strategy towards the pandemic will seem to come on another occasion. On Friday, the district sent a mass email to students titled, “Your Health and Safety is our Top Priority,” reiterating the current policies put in place for students and faculty alike.

“All students must continue to wear disposable, surgical-style masks (available for free at the colleges) or the N-series respirators whenever you are indoors at any college building,” read the district-wide email. “This may change soon and we will notify you as soon as possible of further changes.”

The other two policies the message noted were keeping up with Cleared4 and uploading immunization records, including the booster-shot mandate, of which students must upload evidence to Cleared4 by Mar. 14.

Students who cannot yet receive their booster or have district-approved medical or religious exemptions must submit weekly proof of negative COVID-19 test results in order to continue in-person or hybrid classes.

According to CBS 2 Los Angeles, masks are still required indoors in certain locations statewide, such as some schools, hospitals, nursing homes, buses, trains and airports.