California orders all residents to wear masks in public as COVID-19 cases surge
All California residents ages two and over must wear face coverings in public; William La Jeunesse reports.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Wednesday urged residents to stay home amid a sharp spike in coronavirus cases as businesses continue to reopen.
California reported a record uptick in cases Wednesday and Los Angeles County had the most cases in the country, with 88,262 total cases as of June 23, according to the CDC, which reports stats from USAFacts.org.
Garcetti said the county continues to see some of its highest numbers each day since the pandemic started, and approximately one in four Los Angeles residents has contracted the virus.
“That’s why wearing a face covering, that’s why practicing physical distancing, washing our hands and yes, still, as painful as it might feel, staying a home whenever we can is our best defense in saving lives," Garcetti said in a news conference.
“It’s hit our families, it’s hit our friends. It’s hit all of our communities and we mourn with everybody who is missing a loved one," he added.
US CORONAVIRUS DEATHS PROJECTED TO REACH 180,000 BY OCTOBER
The mayor said one of the most “troubling trends” has been the rise in cases among young people.
He said that 40 percent of all new infections are in people ages 18 to 40, a 7 percent rise from one month ago.
“Younger people are deciding they’re maybe ‘over’ COVID-19, or statistically since they’re less likely to die from it, that they can now violate some of the public orders that we have to get together in big groups or [they're] just done with the physical distancing and wearing of masks," he said. "As I’ve always said from the beginning of this, each of us can be lifesavers. The flip side of this is each of us can be killers, too."
He added that while it’s important to avoid spreading the virus to vulnerable populations, it’s imperative to remember it has also claimed the lives of people under 40.
He urged residents to stay vigilant to keep themselves and others healthy, calling it an “honor system.”
“This relies on each one of us using good judgment, leading with love and finding the actions that will save lives for the people around us," he said.
As of Wednesday the county reported 1,260 news cases and 3,205 people have died since the start of the pandemic, according to Garcetti.
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Los Angeles businesses began to reopen earlier this month with social distancing guidelines in place, including salons, gyms, stores and dine-in at restaurants.
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