LA County to lift indoor mask mandate

Los Angeles, March 4 Starting from Friday, the Los Angeles County will lift its indoor mask mandate after it officially exited the high coronavirus community level a day earlier.

The new health order will lift the indoor mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status, in places such as bars, stores, offices, restaurants, gyms and movie theatres, Xinhua news agency quoted the county health director Barbara Ferrer as saying.

However, vaccination verification or a recent negative test will still be required at indoor mega-events with more than 1,000 people.

Meanwhile, Ferrer warned that if the Covid-19 numbers, including hospitalizations, variants of concern and outbreaks, start to increase, the mask mandate could be reinstated.

The director also recommended that "people continue to wear masks indoors" because "it's always a good idea, especially when you're in the transition part of the pandemic, as we are now, to be cautious".

Compared to last week, Los Angeles County has reported less Covid-19 cases.

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention downgraded the county to the low community risk level.