What to Know
- Outdoor mega events are defined as those with attendance of 10,000 people or more.
- LA County already required masks for most indoor public spaces.
- The updated health order expands the mask requirement for people attending outdoor mega events.
People attending outdoor mega events in Los Angeles County are required to wear face masks as part of updated COVID-19 safety guidance issued this week by the county's health department.
LA County already required mask use at most indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. The updated health order expands that requirement to mega events held outdoors, like large festivals and concerts, unless eating or drinking.
Mega events are those with an attendance of 10,000 or more outdoors and 5,000 or more indoors. The updated order will become effective at 11:59 p.m. Thursday and includes music and food festivals, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl and elsewhere, and sporting events, such as games at Dodger and SoFi stadiums, LAFC games at Banc of California Stadium and LA Galaxy Games at Dignity Health Sports Park.
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The county's latest COVID-19 numbers show more than 2,400 new infections -- a figure that could be low due to weekend reporting lags -- as well as five additional deaths and a recent tripling of weekly cases among pregnant women.
The Los Angeles Department of Public Health reported 2,426 new cases Monday, raising the overall total from throughout the pandemic to 1,352,791. The five new deaths lifted the county's overall death toll to 24,905.
There were 1,679 people hospitalized in the county with COVID-19 as of Monday, including 402 in intensive care, according to state figures. That was up from 1,653 overall patients and 377 ICU patients reported Sunday.
Cases have been reported at an average rate of more than 3,000 cases a day for about the past week, and a rise in case numbers can be expected in the coming weeks with increased testing at schools and businesses, according to county health officials.
The county on Monday also warned of a recent tripling of weekly cases among pregnant women, reporting that 27 cases were reported during the week that ended June 27, while 81 were reported during the week ending July 25.
"Unfortunately, pregnant women are at high risk for serious health problems if they become infected with COVID-19,'' county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. "Getting vaccinated is the best way to reduce the risks of COVID-19
infection and complications for both you and your baby. If you are pregnant or a new mom, we encourage you to get vaccinated as soon as you can and you can get vaccinated at any time during pregnancy. Studies continue to show the vaccines are safe for expecting and new moms and are very effective against
COVID-19 and the Delta variant.''
According to the county, there were 11,264 confirmed COVID cases among pregnant women as of Aug. 10, the vast majority of them Latina. Twelve
women who tested positive have died.
County figures show that the vast majority of people hospitalized with COVID are not vaccinated. During the month of July, vaccinated residents represented just 13% of people hospitalized with the virus.
According to the health department, infection rates show that unvaccinated people are almost four times more likely to get infected with COVID-19. The case rate for unvaccinated individuals is 243 cases per 100,000 people, while the case rate for fully vaccinated people is 66 cases per 100,000 people. Vaccinated people are about 14 times less likely to be hospitalized than their unvaccinated or partially vaccinated counterparts, health officials said.
