TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Alexandria Latragna, Policy and Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of the Proposed Los Angeles County Department of Health Order Regarding Indoor Masking (City Manager Moe).
(Estimated Time: 1 Hr.)
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
Line
_________________________________________________________
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction regarding the potential health order from the Los Angeles County Department of Health (LACDPH) about indoor masking.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action; however, should there be further Council direction on the matter staff will report back regarding expenses.
BACKGROUND:
On July 14, 2022, Los Angeles County entered the “High COVID Community Level” on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels framework after hospital admissions exceeded 10 new hospital admissions per 100,000 people. LACDPH utilizes both the CDC’s community monitoring measures and the California SMARTER plan (California’s COVID-19 response plan) to guide the local public health response.
The CDC has established the concept of “community level” which uses various criteria to help counties determine the prevention steps to be taken based on the COVID-19 levels in an area. The three different community levels are low, medium, and high. Additionally, the CDC assigns steps that should be taken at each level of community transmission. Under the “high” level, the CDC recommends that people should:
• Wear a mask indoors in public.
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
• Get tested if you have symptoms.
Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness.
The CDC looks at the combination of three metrics-new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days-to determine the community transmission level.
Los Angeles is in the “high” community level because it has exceed the following indicators:
1. The number of new COVID-19 admissions to health care facilities per 100,000 population in the past seven days. For Los Angeles, the “high” level is greater than or equal to 10 per 100,000. The level as of July 21, 2022, is 11.4.
OR
2. The percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. For Los Angeles, the “high” level is greater than or equal to 10 per 100,000 people. The level as of July 21, 2022, is 7.1.
AND
3. The total new COVID-19 cases is greater than or equal to 200 per 100,000 people. The level as of July 21, 2022, is 481 cases per 100,000.
LACDPH uses these metrics in determining their public health policies with the following goals:
• Protect the most vulnerable, including those at risk of experiencing elevated rates of illness and death from COVID-19
• Protect hospitals and health system functioning
• Prevent unconstrained spread and significant illness
• Prepare for future potential challenges presented by the evolving conditions of the virus
DISCUSSION:
On July 21, 2022, LACDPH announced that for the second week in a row, the number of COVID-19 cases and the number of COVID-19 related hospitalizations have pushed the county into the “high” level. According to the LACDPH’s Post Surge Response Plan, if Los Angeles County remains in the High COVID-19 Community Level for two consecutive weeks, universal indoor masking will be implemented (originally expected to take effect on July 29, 2022) to help slow the rate of transmission and protect those most vulnerable (the current LACDPH Health Order is provided as an attachment). At the time of the City Council agenda posting, the LACDPH had not yet made a decision regarding implementing the universal masking mandate. Updated information if available will be provided at the Council meeting.
Indoor masking is already a required safety measure in many places, including at all healthcare settings, public transit and transit hubs, long-term care settings, shelters and cooling centers, and correctional facilities. Indoor masking also continues to be required at worksites with outbreaks, and is required for all individuals during the 10 days after a COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure when they are around others.
At the time of this report issuance, it is unclear if the County will be implementing a new indoor mask mandate, due in part to the apparent slowing and/or reductions in key metrics relied upon to set County Health policies. However, staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on whether or not to allocate City resources to enforce any universal indoor masking mandate should the LACDPH move forward with imposing such requirements now or in the near term.
By way of other local jurisdictions’ activities, on July 25, 2022, the Beverly Hills City Council unanimously directed City staff to not enforce the universal indoor masking mandate should LACDPH choose to issue the requirement. El Segundo’s City Council also just held a special meeting and decided not to utilize any staff resources to implement the County’s indoor masking mandate, however, they emphasized that they are not opposed to indoor masking. At their July 28, 2022, meeting, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments will be considered submitting the attached letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors indicating their opposition to the universal indoor mask mandate.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Post Surge Response Plan, June 21, 2022
2. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Order of the Health Officer, April 12, 2022
3. South Bay Cities Council of Governments Draft Letter