Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles last summer. Credit … Alex Welsh for The New York Times
Los Angeles County is removing almost all requirements for testing masks and vaccines indoors, local officials said.
The change, which takes effect on Friday, removes the requirement for masks in public places such as grocery stores, restaurants and bars. It also eliminates the need to show proof of vaccination or negative test results in order to enter indoor bars, wineries or most other companies.
California state regulations still require proof of vaccination or negative test results to enter major indoor events, as well as masks during transit and other high-risk conditions, including hospitals.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, cites new federal guidelines for measuring community risk in her office’s decision to remove restrictions earlier than expected. According to updated measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she said, Los Angeles County is in the low-risk category.
However, Dr Ferrer said masks were highly recommended and that individual companies could choose to comply.
“Covid-19 is a deadly virus and it’s still with us – it’s pouring in and out,” she said. “We need to take advantage of the good times we will be in when we see a much lower risk for so many people, and be prepared to see a new option.”
Although the city of Los Angeles will still require bars, restaurants and many other closed businesses to test the vaccine’s condition, the moment is a major symbolic milestone for Angelenos, who have endured some of the nation’s deadliest waves and lived under some of the nation’s most enduring limitations.
Dr. Ferrer was a special voice of caution, even when her department was disappointed by residents who believed strict rules were unnecessary.
In recent weeks, however, Dr. Ferrer, along with other public health officials across the country, has focused on measures to prevent jumps, hospitalizations and deaths.
She said the county will continue to help residents get vaccinated and that her department will continue to closely monitor case data to intervene before outbreaks in schools or businesses get out of hand. Dr Ferrer emphasized that the county would work to ensure that all communities had equal access to therapies for people with Covid-19.
On Monday, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington jointly announced that they would remove state-wide mask requirements for schools on March 12, which were among the last remaining restrictions across the state. And California officials lifted the mandate for unvaccinated masks in closed public places on Tuesday.