While my household has ample supply of masks, including environmental and medical N95s, I have absolutely no plans to cover up should mandates return—and looks like they will; in Los Angeles County, at least, and possibly here in San Diego, too. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention returns both areas to the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 high-risk category, which could lead to resuming face-covering requirements.
As of yesterday, according to official public health data that excludes Long Beach and Pasadena, 1,107 people are hospitalized in LA County—up from 606 about thirty days earlier. One-hundred twenty-nine are in intensive care, or about 11 percent of capacity. Daily Coronavirus deaths: Four, which is down from six on June 14. And that’s a health emergency enough to bring back mask mandates?
For comparison, way down here in less-populated San Diego County, COVID-19 was never as much a plague as Los Angeles. For official data updated today: One new hospitalization, down from 33 a month earlier. The last logged death was June 30. Again, that’s reason enough to require face-coverings indoors?
Someone show me in the data why masking is necessary in Los Angeles or San Diego, given that hospital ICUs aren’t overwhelmed nor are deaths soaring. Looking at trends, even with rising infections from the BA.5 variant, I don’t see reason to panic—qualifying that I am not a medical professional. That said, I am a journalist and former trade analyst accustomed to accurately analyzing data sets and ferreting future trends.
Hey, just saying.
Anticipating eventual need for another Coronavirus stock shot, I used iPhone 13 Pro to capture the Featured Image on March 2, 2022. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 32, 1/1263 sec, 77mm; 11:30 a.m. PST. Location: El Cajon Blvd near 55th Street.