LA Health Officials 'Strongly Recommends' Indoor Mask Wearing As Delta Variant Spreads

As the Delta variant grows more contagious, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health “strongly recommends” everyone to wear a mask in public indoor spaces regardless of their vaccination status.

This recommendation comes as a precautionary measure as new data shows the Delta variant may be twice as transmissible as the conventional coronavirus strains.

Available vaccines appear to offer strong protection but there is concern that those who have yet to take the first or second dose of the vaccine remain vulnerable to potent new variants such as the Delta.

Last week, 123 Los Angeles residents were infected with the Delta variant. Of the 123, 110 were not vaccinated and three were only partially vaccinated.

L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted in a statement that mask-wearing remains an effective tool for reducing transmission, especially indoors.

“This is a pandemic of unvaccinated people,” Ferrer said.