California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) extended the state’s indoor mask mandate through February 15 amid concerns about the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Last month, Newsom reimposed the mask mandate with an initial end date of January 15. Instead, the state’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, announced an extension on Wednesday:
At that time, we will again re-evaluate the condition across California, our communities and our health-care delivery settings to make sure that we are taking the latest information into account to determine if there would be another extension, or if we’re prepared to lift that requirement across the state. Omicron is here and it’s here now.
A man receives a nasal swab COVID-19 test at Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) amid a coronavirus surge in Southern California on December 22, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Although California officials are worried about omicron, recent reports suggest cloth masks may be ineffective in protecting against the latest variant. California’s mask rule does not mandate the use of N95 masks, which are more protective than the cloth or surgical masks that millions of Californias wear daily.
“If you really want no exposure, you have to wear the right type of mask,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi, a University of California, San Francisco infectious disease specialist.
California’s mask mandate applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Close to 80 percent of Californians have taken at least one dose of the vaccine, and health officials report nearly 144,000 people a day are taking a vaccine.
California health officials reported 21,000 new coronavirus cases the day before Newsom extended the mask mandate. These cases come after close to 45,000 cases were reported over New Year’s weekend.
Despite the statewide mask mandate, state officials remain committed to letting the Super Bowl occur in Los Angeles, California.
“The Super Bowl is coming to L.A,” Ghaly told local reporters when asked about the future of the game.
Wednesday’s extension arrives the same week Los Angeles reported its first case of “flurona,” a hybrid combination of coronavirus and influenza. Additionally, California’s judicial and legislative systems were impacted by the coronavirus.
Los Angeles County suspended criminal trials for two weeks due to the omicron variant. The California legislature was short 35 members on Thursday after 27 assemblymen and eight state senators missed the legislative session following potential exposure to the coronavirus.
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