Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced he would not enforce the new indoor mask mandate. In a statement on Friday, Villanueva said forcing vaccinated individuals as well as those who already contracted COVID-19 to wear masks indoors has not been backed by science and contradicted CDC guidelines.
The Los Angeles Health Department reinstated an indoor mask order after an increase in COVID-19 cases since last month. However, the move sparked criticism among residents and County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who said masks should not be mandatory.
“I don’t think it should be mandatory. I think it should be recommended,” she expressed. “To my knowledge, we are the only county that’s doing it as a mandatory.”
