Get ready to add masks to your rave attire when attending music festivals in Los Angeles. L.A. County is going mask up for “outdoor mega-events,” — including music festivals — due to an order issued by the Department of Public Health.
The mandate will go into effect on Thursday, August 19 at 11:59 PM, requiring large-gathering attendees to wear facial coverings. However, the only exception to the rule, festival-goers can briefly remove their masks when they are “actively eating or drinking.”
This change comes after L.A. county set mask mandates for indoor spaces, such as gyms and restaurants, on July 17. The guideline was enforced due to the rise of COVID-19 cases and the outbreak of the delta variant.
L.A. county identifies an “outdoor mega-event” as one hosting over 10,000 people in one location. Owners and operators of such happenings must follow the mandate and enforce mask-wear at all times.
The order states individuals in L.A. County must wear a mask “except while eating or drinking, which is the limited time during which the mask can be removed briefly to eat or drink, after which it must be immediately put back on. Patrons, customers or guests must be seated at a table or positioned at a stationary counter, ticketed seat or place while actively eating or drinking indoors, or while actively eating or drinking at an outdoor mega event.”
Ultimately, according to the report, the mask mandate aims to reduce transmission risk of COVID-19 for residents in the area, especially those unvaccinated. This requirement aims to serve people in absence of other protective measures, such as social distancing and capacity limits.
L.A. County COVID-19 Cases On The Rise
Los Angeles county is seeing an increase in daily cases in the area. According to the order, officials are seeing a surge in reports, with 3,810 cases on August 13, 2021 alone. The county reports a 7-day daily average case rate of 29.1 per 100,000 residents.
On Thursday, August 18, the Department of Health released a COVID-19 report update, indicating 34 new deaths and 1,754 hospitalizations. To date, the county has seen a total of 1,359,672 cases since the start of the pandemic.