Statement from Sup. Barger Regarding Masking Mandate
LOS ANGELES COUNTY — In response to the recently released indoor mask mandate by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued the following statement:
“While I am concerned by the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, I do not believe that the proposed mask mandate will help our efforts to stress the efficacy of the vaccines and compel unvaccinated residents to get vaccinated.
“As I have expressed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles County should align with the State of California on all health officer orders that impact residents, businesses and local organizations. The public deserves clarity and transparency when government officials make decisions that will impact the lives of our residents. I wish that the Department of Public Health had provided its proposed masking guidance during the July 13th Board of Supervisors meeting so that the public could have had the opportunity to listen to the decision-making process. By deviating from the State, we create confusion and disagreement at the local level, which hinders public trust and takes away from our primary messaging which should be to encourage individuals to get vaccinated with urgency given the spread of the Delta variant.”
