The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has decided not to enforce the county’s health directive reintroducing mask use indoors, claiming that the decision “is not supported by evidence.”
Forcing vaccinated persons and those who have already caught COVID-19 to wear masks indoors, according to the sheriff’s office, “is not supported by science.”
Sheriff Alex Villanueva stated in a press release Friday that the “underfunded/defunded” sheriff’s department “will not waste our limited resources and instead seek for voluntary compliance.”
Since fully reopening on June 15, California has witnessed a dramatic increase in viral infections. Cases had been declining prior to the reopening, and the virus’s future appeared to be bright.
The county’s public health officer, Dr. Muntu Davis, said that issuing tickets to those who do not follow the rules is “not something we really want to have to do.”
A test positive rate of 3.8 percent was revealed on Friday, a significant increase from the 0.4 percent rate recorded in early June. There are 452 individuals in hospitals with the virus right now, up from 216 just a month ago.
According to county data, 61 percent of people aged 16 and up are completely immunized.
Adults aged 18 to 49 years old have the most cases and are seeing the greatest growth. 71 percent of the new cases reported by Public Health Saturday are among adults aged 18 to 49.
The county is seeing “present considerable and rising community transmission,” according to the statement, and “masking by everyone indoors can minimize everyone’s risk of illness and the danger of transfer to others if sick.”
At least seven California counties, including San Francisco and Alameda, issued mask recommendations this week, in response to the growing number of cases.