There’s a new push to rescind mask mandates in LA County — at least outdoors — after Gov. Gavin Newsom, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed were all photographed maskless at SoFi stadium during the NFC championships.
It was just the latest offense from a crew that’s been accused of COVID hypocrisy before. Newsom had his French Laundry scandal in 2020. Breed has been seen twice partying without a mask at nightclubs in San Francisco.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger used the latest uproar to call on county health officials to end the requirement for large outdoor events. She sent a letter to Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer last week.
“Masking rules set by the state and county weren’t followed consistently by everyone at yesterday’s NFC Championship," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. "Instead, we saw individuals choosing to mask up based on calculated personal risk. Modern stadiums like SoFi Stadium have strong air circulation and all attendees of the game were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test. Some fans evidently felt this was enough to protect them against COVID-19."
On Thursday, Ferrer told reporters that the outdoor mask requirement for mega-events and K-12 schools would end once the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 falls below 2,500 and remains for a period of seven consecutive days.
As for LA’s mayor, he wants you to know he has a perfectly reasonable explanation for those maskless photos at SoFi. He says he didn't exhale.