Late Friday afternoon, July 16, 2021, the LA County Health Department published its much-ballyhooed Order returning a mask requirement to most indoor settings.  The order requires masks for all persons, regardless of vaccination status in “all indoor settings, venues, gatherings and businesses.”  Indoor businesses open to the public must require all customers to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, and post notices to that effect.

The Order expressly states that it overrides Cal/OSHA’s recent ETS and states “This County Health Officer Order, which requires masking of all individuals at indoors public settings and businesses, regardless of vaccination status….overrides the more permissive ETS regarding employee masking.”

The only express exemption to mask wearing in the workplace applies to employees who perform certain tasks that cannot be performed while wearing a mask, for the period of time in which such tasks are to be performed.  And, such employees must be tested for COVID-19 twice per week unless they provide proof of being fully vaccinated.

This Order takes effect at 11:59 p.m. on July 17, 2021.  As additional developments appear, we will keep you updated.