The Antelope Valley Times

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COVID surge: LA County residents again ordered to wear masks indoors

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In the face of steadily increasing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, Los Angeles County residents will again be required to wear masks in indoor settings beginning Saturday night, health officials announced Thursday.

“We’re not where we need to be for the millions at risk of infection here in Los Angeles County, and waiting to do something would be too late given what we’re seeing now,” County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said.

On Thursday, the county reported 1,537 new infections, the highest number since early March. It was the seventh consecutive day of new case numbers that topped 1,000. Davis said the rate of virus spread in the county has officially risen from moderate to substantial, with infections five times more likely to occur among unvaccinated residents. The current seven-day average rate of daily new cases in the county is now at 7.1 cases per 100,000 residents, up from 4.8 just last week.

As a result, Davis said a revised county Health Officer Order will take effect at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, July 17, requiring people to wear masks in indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status. The county previously only recommended such mask-wearing in an effort to slow the spread of the virus and protect unvaccinated residents.

“Wearing a mask when indoors with others reduces the risk of both getting and transmitting the virus,” Davis said. “Masking indoors must again become a normal practice by all, regardless of vaccination status so we can stop the trends and level of transmission we are currently seeing.”

The masking order will remain in place “until we see improvements” in case transmission, he said.

Asked if the county might consider re-implementing other health restrictions — such as capacity limits and physical distancing, Davis said, “Everything is on the table if things continue to get worse.”

He said for now, mask wearing is the “easiest thing” for people to do to help limit spread of the virus.

The mandate means customers will again be required to mask up when entering any indoor public establishment, including retail shops, grocery stores, restaurants and workplaces. Davis said indoor dining will remain open, but customers will have to remain masked while they are not eating or drinking.

The new cases reported by the county Thursday lifted the cumulative total from throughout the pandemic to 1,262,578. The county reported three more COVID-19 deaths, lifting the overall death toll to 24,566. The number of people hospitalized in Los Angeles County due to the virus jumped to 452 on Thursday, according to state figures, up from 406 on Wednesday, with 96 people in intensive care. The number of people hospitalized has been climbing steadily for the past three weeks, and is now double the number reported when COVID health restrictions were lifted statewide on June 15. The rolling-average rate of people testing positive for the virus also continued to climb, reaching 3.75% on Thursday, up from 3.7% Wednesday and well above the 0.3% rate from early June, and 1.2% on June 15.

The increase in infections and hospitalizations is widely blamed on the highly infectious “Delta” variant of the virus. The variant was first detected in India, where widespread infections were reported. The variant is also credited for significant outbreaks in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.

“Delta” has been the most commonly detected variant in Los Angeles County for several weeks.

“It is clear that the Delta variant is here and spreading rapidly, overwhelmingly in our unvaccinated communities, and we need to take action now before we see uncontrollable spread,” County Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement. “That is why today we announced that beginning Sunday, we are taking the necessary step of reinstating a mask requirement indoors for all residents, to slow the spread once more and provide more time for people to get vaccinated. This is only a temporary action, until we can lower our cases and continue getting more people the doses they need.”

For people who are unvaccinated, Solis said, “This is the most important reminder yet that this pandemic is not over, and that you remain at serious risk for getting sick, hospitalized, and ultimately, passing away.”

Davis insisted again that COVID vaccines provide strong protection against the virus and the “Delta” variant, but unvaccinated residents are at significantly higher risk.

There are still nearly 4 million county residents who are unvaccinated. Currently, 69% of county residents aged 16 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 61% are fully vaccinated. Among those aged 65 and older, 88% have received at least one dose, and 78% are fully vaccinated.

Black residents continue to have the lowest rate of vaccinations in the county. As of Sunday, 45% of Black residents in the county have received at least one dose, compared to 55% among Latinos, 66% of white residents and 76% of Asian residents.

While conceding that people who are vaccinated can still become infected, they are far less likely to become severely ill or die. As of Tuesday, among the nearly 4.8 million fully vaccinated residents, 4,122 have subsequently tested positive for the virus, a rate of 0.09%. Only 213 fully vaccinated residents have been hospitalized, for a rate of 0.0045%, and 26 have died, a rate of 0.0005%.

In hopes of encouraging more people to get vaccinated, the county is continuing to offer incentives. Beginning Friday, July 16, and continuing through next Thursday, July 22, anyone who gets vaccinated at sites operated by the county will be entered for a chance to win one of seven concert ticket packages, with tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney on Ice and the Gold Over America Tour with Simone Biles at Staples Center.

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65 comments for "COVID surge: LA County residents again ordered to wear masks indoors"

    • … with exception to the United States Federal Reserve, the most egregiously mismanaged institution on this planet, coronavirus isn’t the only thing leaked from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology –

  2. “Wearing a mask when indoors with others reduces the risk of both getting and transmitting the virus,” Davis said.

    No. It’s sad that a “doctor” has to stoop to this level of misinformation, but cloth and paper barriers only reduce transmission to others, NOT the risk of getting it yourself, i.e. the “getting” part of that quote. Viruses can easily pass through the pores of the cloth and paper. I understand that in April 2020, we did not have better options, but by now we should have plenty of virus-protective face masks by now. The fact that they are sticking with cloth and paper is a poor excuse for public health management.

    There is so much more we could do. They KNOW that the risky spread right now is among unvaccinated people, so those people should be told to shelter in place like last spring. There needs to be more contact tracing ( it seems they gave up on that). They need to crack down on improper masks (both how mask is worn and the quality of mask). The fact that an unvaccinated person has cloth in the vicinity of their mouth and nose is NOT protection. Cover the nose, throw away the old mask, teach people on how to seal coverings to they function.

    The LA health department is being lazy. “Oh, just do that thing again that did not work last fall.” If they want to claim control, they must do a better job than just hoping that it goes away.

    • The problem is that the people who are refusing to get vaccinated are not going to shelter in place just because they are told to. They are predominantly Trumpist Republicans and they will just lie and go about their business. The only way to make them wear a mask is to make everyone wear masks, because they lie and claim vaccinated. They lie, that’s just a piece of reality that has to be accounted for in whatever we try to do.

      The good news is that they can’t lie to the virus, and this delta variant is so contagious that pretty much everyone is going to get it. But only the people who aren’t vaccinated seem to be getting it bad enough to be hospitalized and die. I’m actually okay with that.

      • From the article above:

        “Black residents continue to have the lowest rate of vaccinations in the county. As of Sunday, 45% of Black residents in the county have received at least one dose, compared to 55% among Latinos, 66% of white residents and 76% of Asian residents.”

        4 million county residents are unvaccinated, with very strong trends of unvaccination in African-American and Latino communities, but Tim Scott says that unvaccinated are “predominantly Trumpist Republicans”??? The numbers do not line up. Stop the partisan lies.

  3. Why are so many people here so reluctant to getting vaccinated. Are people in Los Angelese really that self serving that they don’t even want to take the vaccine because it somehow makes them feel uncomfortable? Seriously, what is wrong with y’all? You obviously don’t care about the health and safety of others. (no wonder you wound up being the epicenter, it’s because there aren’t enough people here who do care. God forbid any of you mutter “We’re all in this together.” the only thing you’ve ever considered a “together thing” is the amount of people in line at the gym or in traffic in your fancy cars. And now many of you are taking the self serving tactic of not getting vaccinated? The stupid things people do and don’t do because it makes them uncomfortable and inconveniences them no longer shocks me any more. But hey, sense so many are cars, cloths, self care, and self codling first, why not consider that taking the vaccine is considered self care, since obviously those many of you who appose the vaccine like you apposed the masks and literally anything that is outside of you is way to much to bare, take the vaccine, for your beloved selves if noone else.

    • Yes, LA is that self-serving. The explains all of the homeless – evidently LA does not care who lives and dies on the streets, as long as its an individual’s choice. That goes for all of the drug use, lax immigration laws, welfare programs, etc. LA is a giant individual’s-right center, only they want others to pay for it.

      • Actually, vaccination rate in LA is pretty high compared to many parts of the country. The states like South Dakota, where the governor actually boasts about “standing up to Biden and keeping vaccination rates low” and Florida, where the Governor is marketing “don’t Fouci with Florida” tee shirts are in very serious trouble compared to us.

  4. Another repressive tactic by some “woke” moron pretending to follow the science, and implementing his own law.

    Fact: A micron is 1/1,000,000 th on an inch.

    The virus is 2.5 microns in diameter.

    An n95 mask can only stop particles 5 microns in diametet and larger.

    Therefore: virus goes thru it ( mask) like water thru a sieve.

    It don’t stop sheet. This is a beta test to see who will bow down to big brother.

    Ask yourself, did you get vaccinated just to keep your mask on , permanently?

    • Good point. In Spring 2020, we used paper and cloth masks so that the real virus-effective masks would go to the healthcare workers. That was good prioritization. Now, over a year later, why are we still using cloth and paper masks? Why don’t we have N95 masks for all? Why are we not mandating proper methods of wearing masks?

      • Wow, oh wow….Just wear the stupid mask even if it’s required for the rest of your life, wherever you go. Wear them or you will either be asked to leave or you will be thrown out screaming about your personal rights. Maybe someone will post your meltdown on social media.

    • Oh, brother…

      Okay.. let’s pretend, for just a moment, that you are, somehow, right in this being some sort of a ‘bow down to big brother’ test… If so, it would not be a very effective test, as it is based upon a pandemic and not actual obedience to the state for the state’s own wishes. In other words, it would not be testing the limits of what people will do, just because they are told to, because ‘they’ would be inserting a perceivable threat (whether you believe it, or not, is irrelevant to such a test) to make it happen, instead of being a mere exercise of power over the masses.

      So, with all of this, please explain your logic as to how this would work for ‘them.’ I’m fascinated to know.

      • Stinger, surely you know by now that their mad conspiracies don’t have to even make sense for them to TRUMPet them with all their limited might.

        • Oh yes. I know, Tim… I’m just hoping (against all hope, naturally) that, by taking him/her through their own logic, they might, just might, see the inherent, non-political, fallacies therein and take at least one small step back towards reality from their mango madness.

          I can’t help being an optimist – I’m an American.

          • I prefer the direct shot. Virus size genuinely makes no difference at all, and anyone who thinks about it will recognize the truth in my post about why.

            I predict we will never hear from “Dr Strangelive” again…at least under the now busted screen name…because they will recognize their position is eviscerated.

            But they will be back under another name saying the same wrong things, in hopes I won’t be around.

    • When you exhale the virus the virus is contained in a moisture droplet, not just a free floating virus, therefore the actual size of the virus is totally irrelevant to the effectiveness of the mask.

  5. This is funny teasing the 2 lizard brains…Beecee and Sonya aka Pu$$y.

    Well, at least they can catch flies with their tongues. That’s useful.

    • No cause for being impolite. Even though you are a nationalist socialist democrat, confers upon you no license for being disrespectful.

      • The irony is delicious. If I thought you were smart enough for it to have been intentional I would be impressed.

      • If this post didn’t have “national socialist democrat” included, I would have guessed it was just another Tim Scott word salad post that makes him think he is smart.

        • Y’know, Miss Ice Cream.

          Your use of “word salad” is something you heard right?

          And, you don’t know what it means right?

          Tim Scott’s posts are anything but word salad.

          “Word salad” is Donald Trump’s native language.

          But you knew that. For you, the United States Constitution would be a “word salad”. Right?

      • Yes, there is cause for being impolite and more. The 2 in question are so good at it themselves and they beg for the replies they have gotten. I should thank them for the unwitting fun they provide here. “unwitting” being the operative word no less.

        Plus, they keep coming back for more.

        So, Beanie, er, Cecil, you must be new here and just showed up yesterday for the first time or you’d know whatchyer talkin’ ’bout.

        I can see you in a maternity delivery room as the newborn appears saying “Duh, how did that happen?”. Y’know. CLUELESS.

        • So, Beanie. Calling someone a “nationalist socialist democrat” is you being polite. You lying is “polite” I gotta remember that for next time you post…if ever.

          You Trumpers can’t get out of your own way. You step on your d**** every single time you post.

          That’s fine. Your foolish ignorance cost you the House, Senate and White House in quick succession. What’s next? Your wives and children.

          That might be true in that it’s Trump and the GOP that have made masks and vaccines verboten…a German word like nazi, Drumpf (Trump’s original surname. What’s in a name?) and führer.

          Any questions?

  6. … it’s nice, thoughtful citizens doing their part, in compliance, doing their civic duty, wearing masks. Sorry to burst your bubble, you’ve been misinformed. The “vaccine” you received, wearing masks, do absolutely nothing to prevent you from contracting a virus — any virus.

    A mask won’t prevent you from contracting germs, infections, snakebites, much less a virus. A mask prevents you — YOU, from spreading germs to others.

    The “vaccines” won’t prevent you from contracting a virus — any kind of virus. Messenger RNA injection indicative of a download, the J&J, the Pfizer and the Moderna jabs only served to deliver a jolt, awaken and re-code your immune system.

    Want to avoid the virus? Stay away from people – far-far-far away.

    • Got the Moderna jabs, March and April. Second jab, thought I was going to die.

      Three months later, I’m awakening, excruciating pain in my left elbow. Emergency x-ray turns up nothing. After a couple days, poof-gone. Then, last week, excruciating pain in my right wrist; couldn’t bend my hand back sufficient to operate my PC. Emergency x-ray, nothing. Couple days later, poof-gone.

      This week, excruciating pain in my bum. My right hip. I can barely move.

      That Moderna’s mopping the floor with me. Haven’t had my body racked up like this since high school football. Tried reporting this to the CDC. They’ve kicked me to the curb.

      Guess I’ll have to tough it out.

      • sooooo…you have no actual connection between “I got vaccinated” and “I have these problems.”

        I have a variety of pains that come and go, and I am guessing that most people my age who played high school football do as well…not that I played high school football, I shrugged off hits in a different venue that I am paying for now. I suggest instead of getting all bitter about blaming your various aches and pains on being vaccinated you focus on being thankful that you aren’t in the hospital with covid…since apparently ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of people in LA County currently suffering with hospitalization required level infections are among the not vaccinated.

        • Um, should I feel bad for agreeing with Tim Scott on this one?

          We all have aches and pains, especially as we get older. Alfred is assuming a connection only because of the timeline – a shot and then three months later pain so it must be connected. The logic is pitiful.

          Last fall, I had a new pain in my right arm that was sending shocks to my fingertips. Longs later I got the moderna shot in the same arm. Was this a pre-vaccine reaction?

          Not only are we older (just time passing) but the pandemic created a more sedentary lifestyle for most of us. That by itself causes changing health conditions.

          • You missed Alfred’s humor. Don’t see much logic here, just opinions like mine that doesn’t amount to anything really.

      • Alfred! I know what you’re going through, pal. Hurts like a mofo. Doesn’t it?

        Don’t waste your money on the Aspercream. If it is a Moderna side-effect? How you’ll know instantly, dropping a Quaalude or a hydrocodone wipes out that phantom mRNA side-effect bouncing around your body. 30 minutes time, you’re back to normal.

        Important thing, after the Moderna, you can’t be sedentary. You’ll have to be the Energizer Bunny, Stan the Java-Man, the rest of your natural life.

        • Hey, you guys! Chiming in to express my gratitude to everyone here. I deeply appreciate the heads up on the opioid tip. No thanks I grope muster could ever suffice. You guys are terrific!

          Index finger, wrist, thumb, palm, elbow, my bum, one fell swoop, about 45 minutes after I dropped one of my better-half’s 10/325 Norcos, wiped clean every ache ping-ponging around my body these last three months.

          You saved my bacon. Beers to you, whomever you are. Overflowing vim and vigor, haven’t felt this good in years. Back to normal, I’d forgotten what that was.

          By the way, Barbi? Saw what you’d asked, below. How’d you know I’m A+?

          • My hubby’s A+. Top of the tough guy totem pole, the Moderna took him down a few notches. Over-the-counter pain pills were useless. The Chinese woman next door gifted us a bottle of Wong to Yick liniment oil. Expensive stuff. Helped considerably.

        • The A+ blood groups are struggling. CDC folks tend to be a little lazy, shooting from the hip for sake of expedience. They should have differentiated, ordered blood archetyping, assigning optimal vaccines to the different blood groups rather than the slapdash, off-the-shelf vaccine, one size fits all, that so many people are getting sick from.

        • I’m A-plus. Same thing here. Rough go of it, strung out on the opioids trying to beat waves of pain. Since the vaccine, I’m a wreck. It feels like I’ve been aged a decade.

          • Sounds pretty dramatic.

            Maybe it’s just me, but I think the operative words might be more “strung out on the opioids” rather than blood type or vaccine.

            My own combination of experiences is that when I got vaccinated my arm felt very similar to how it felt this time that I got hit with a bat. I was looking every day because I couldn’t believe it could feel that way without showing a bruise. Lasted about ten days.

            Now, I know myself, and if I had taken opioids for that (very legitimate) pain, I would still be taking them…and every time I came down I would be convinced that “my arm is killing me, I need more dope.” That’s how addiction works.

            So please A-Plus, get yourself some help.

          • Try the Salonpas patches, Ray. Get the little ones, and the big ones. You’ll need both.

            I know it says not to, but where it aches, put a patch, have your better half hook you up a heating pad, dial up that mofo full blast, cook it, overnight.

            I’m in somewhat better shape. I’m able to arise unassisted. This is doing the trick.

            My better-half definitely wants off the pills.

          • “Strung out on opioids trying to beat waves of pain?” That’s phantom pain caused by your brain crying out for more opioids. Consider a 12-step program. I’m A+ and don’t have any side effects.

      • Wrist, elbow, hip 3 months later? It might be arthritis unrelated to Moderna. Just a thought.

        • Yes, I worried it might be arthritis. But, x-rays kept coming back negative, the aches musclebound, emanating from deep muscle tissue beginning on my left arm, where I was jabbed, having only recently migrated to my right side.

          • A year ago on tv, they were discussing COVID. One woman who was a guest commentator was discussing some symtoms she was having at the time.

            She then said “Let’s hope it’s cancer.” LOL COVID was that awful.

      • I’m an RH positive, group A guy. The last Moderna jab was a train wreck. The day after my second jab, I felt like I’d been hit by a train.

        Overwhelmed muscular pain, I couldn’t move. My primary care physician phoned in a same-day prescription, Sulindac, and asked I take it twice daily, with a folic acid supplement. About a week, no more aches and pain, I was pretty much back to where I was before the inoculation.

        But, one exception. First month, I’d struggled getting myself out of bed in the morning. Thankfully, I’ve got a decent boss. I’ve never been to work late so many times in my life.

        Took a solid month to regain my equilibrium. I have three more refills on my Sulindac.

      • Okay, Betha, “You’re not a real doctor.”

        What else do ya want me to say? Your name sounds like those made up names the Russian bots to mimic American names.

    • When you go on a Walmart Run, do you like to get a box of Quackers? Because if you are a real doctor, you sound like a Quack.

    • It’s funny watching the name callers go to work here. I have no way to know if this Dr. Robt is a licensed physician, but his post is basically accurate.

      We don’t wear masks to protect ourselves, they contain what we EXHALE to protect others. It is a courtesy and a “benefit to society.” That’s why Trump and his disciples have made such a cause of it…wearing a mask does not pass their immediate “what’s in it for me?” response. So in that the post is accurate.

      Similarly, being vaccinated doesn’t prevent you from picking up the virus if you are exposed to it. It has geared up your immune system so that when you do pick up the virus it will be defeated faster and more successfully. This again reduces the chance you will pass it on, and also reduces the severity for you…explaining why EVERY person currently hospitalized or recently dead of covid in LA county has been not fully vaccinated…so even Republicans who look first last and only at direct benefit to themselves and DGAF about anyone but themselves have good reason to get vaccinated.

      For my part I have stopped trying to get conservatives to vaccinate. That “only the unvaccinated are dying” sort of put me past it.

    • Can’t wait to see u going viral screaming inside a grocery store “I don’t have to wear a mask. My body my choice!!!!!!#

    • Is that your final answer, Beecee, to “Do you know what yer talkin’ ’bout?”.

      Why do you bother posting here, Beecee? You have nothing useful to say and whatever nonsense you do say results in a mocking backlash…a masochists dream.

      It’s entertaining for us however or haven’t you noticed? It’s like a penny arcade game with you. Knock the hat off the clown and win a prize. The response from you with you multiple replies in quick succession is prize enough. You unwittingly show us how pathetic you are.

      Say “Hi” to Sonya.

      • Look at all of this feedback after literally typing 2 letters….

        It’s keyboard commando day for the nerdz.

        • lol…no basic clown, it isn’t “literally typing two letters.” It’s the cumulative effect of all the posts you have saddled your user name with. People pretend they are Tim Scott all the time, because I have built the credibility of this user name. People look at a basic clown post, even a one word basic clown post, and respond to the accumulation of ignorance behind it.

          • lololol…”nerd”…the absolute pinnacle of the basic clown collection of “epic burns”…back to the elementary school playground with you

        • No. no. no Beecee. You’ve written not just 2 letters but “too many letters”.

          And, you call the couple words you manage to type “letters”?

          You give us too much ammunition with which to shoot holes in everything you say.

          GIVE IT UP. Cancel yourself why dontcha? Sonya will take over without missing a beat.

          You are dispensable/disposable since you say the same chit the rest of your right wing ilk says. I know. You think you’re special. Well, they have an Olympics just for you.

          Might want to take the sign off your back that says “I’m easy mock”

          • oh we know the “epic burners” like yourself never give up…you’ll just grab a new screen name to start knocking the credibility out of the same way you destroyed basic clown…how many others have you burned out so far?

        • lolololol…when I suggested earlier that you could upgrade your ‘epic burns’ by hanging around watching on an elementary school playground I didn’t expect you to take me up on it!

        • You think they are losing there mind right now,
          Wait until the next two election cycles.

    • Painfully evident, per the nationalist socialist democrats, Beecee has no right whatsoever to her opinion. Per the nationalist socialist democrats, nor does she rise to a level of significance sufficient for equal representation. Per the nationalist socialist democrats, Beecee does not merit basic common courtesy, nor respect. Per the nationalist socialist democrats, Beecee must be hounded, harassed, and publicly humiliated, for the amusement and merriment of the nationalist socialist democrats.

      • LOLOLOLOL…have you looked at the posts put up by the person you are defending, you name calling brain lizard?

  8. Like Anthony Clement McAuliffe told the nazi’s asking the United States to surrender – I say “Nuts!”

    Don’t anyone do it.