Los Angeles County is widening its mask mandate by requiring all attendees of large outdoor concerts and festivals to mask up regardless of vaccination status. Venues that will be impacted include the Hollywood Bowl, the Rose Bowl, and Dodger Stadium.

The county’s public health department said the new order applies to outdoor events with 10,000 or more attendees and is set to take effect starting 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. Officials said the mandate is designed to “slow the increasing trends in and level of transmission of COVID-19 currently being seen in Los Angeles County.”

A masked fan is surrounded by unmasked fans during Kaskade’s performance at SoFi Stadium, Saturday, July 17, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The new order states the only time individuals are allowed to remove masks is when “actively eating or drinking.” But even then, the order says that once you are done eating or drinking, you must “immediately” put your mask back on.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 15: Guests are seen at the main gate during the reopening of The Hollywood Bowl with a concert for healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers at Hollywood Bowl on May 15, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

L.A. county’s new order comes after officials controversially reinstated an indoor mask mandate in July covering cinemas, gyms, and restaurants.

As Breitbart News reported, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he wouldn’t enforce the indoor mask mandate  since it is “not backed by science.” It remains unclear if the sheriff’s department will enforce the new mandate.

Mask mandates have proven controversial due to uncertainty around their effectiveness. In California’s Bay Area, coronavirus hospitalizations have reached the 2020 summer high despite mask mandates for all regardless of vaccination status.

But Democratic politicians and Hollywood celebrities have nonetheless doubled down on mask mandates. In a recent CNN interview and an essay in the left-wing magazine The Atlantic, Arnold Schwarzenegger called non-mask-wearers “schmucks” and said “screw your freedom.”

Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com