Full Notification

The City of West Hollywood is getting the word out that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will modify its Health Officer Order to require masking for everyone while indoors at public settings and businesses, regardless of vaccination status.

Los Angeles County indoor masking requirements for everyone will be effective Saturday, July 17 at 11:59 p.m. This requirement includes the City of West Hollywood. Some exceptions will apply, as with masking requirements that were in place prior to the June 15 reopening. The modified Health Officer Order will be posted on the LA County Public Health website on Friday, July 16, 2021. For additional details and specifics, please visit the LA County Public Health website at http://ph.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus — the order and any updated Appendices will be posted as they become available.

Community transmission of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County has rapidly increased from Moderate to Substantial. According to an LA County Public Health statement issued on Wednesday, July 15, 2021: “Los Angeles County [has seen] more than a seven-times increase in new cases since the June 15 reopening. Wearing a mask when indoors reduces the risk of both getting and transmitting the virus. This additional layer of protection can help to slow the spread and does not limit business occupancy and operations.”

On Thursday, July 15, 2021, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the highest number of new COVID-19 cases since mid-March 2021 with 1,537 new cases and a test positivity rate of 3.7 percent. For comparison, one month ago on June 15, which was the day of full reopening at the State and County level, Los Angeles County saw just 210 new cases and a test positivity rate of 0.5 percent.

Emerging data affirms that fully vaccinated people are well protected from severe infections with Delta variants, but people who have received only one dose of a two-dose vaccine (such as Pfizer or Moderna) are not as well protected until after they have received a second dose. There is evidence that individuals who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine are well protected. However, there is evidence, as well, that a very small number of fully vaccinated individuals can become infected. From June 27 to July 3, the percentage of sequenced Delta variants 71 percent of all sequences collected that week. In addition, given that approximately 4 million residents in Los Angeles County are not yet fully vaccinated, the risk of increased community spread remains high.

Local Public Health Officials are reminding community members that it is important to get tested for COVID-19 infection for people who develop symptoms, even if fully vaccinated. Testing is also recommended for unvaccinated people who have been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed COVID-19 infection or who has had a potential exposure. COVID-19 testing remains widely available across the county. Residents should first call their healthcare provider for a COVID-19 test. For people who cannot get a test through a healthcare provider, free testing is available; please visit https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing.

Los Angeles County coordinates a COVID-19 West Hollywood testing site at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. The testing site is open each week from Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is adjacent to the Community Center in the South Parking Lot. Tests are being administered by Fulgent Genetics. Although walk-ins are welcome, it is strongly encouraged that those interested in getting a test pre-register for an appointment at la.fulgentgenetics.com. People getting tests should bring ID and confirmation number to the appointment.

Health officials urge all people to get vaccinated. Residents ages 12 and older with internet access are urged to use www.VaccinateLACounty.com to sign up for a vaccination appointment. For people without access to a computer or the Internet, or people with disabilities, an LA County call center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to help schedule appointments at (833) 540-0473.

Additional information, such as links to West Hollywood-area drug store chains offering vaccinations, is available on the City of West Hollywood’s website at www.weho.org/coronavirus in the Vaccines and Testing Information section.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks or more after they have received the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks or more after they have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. West Hollywood City Hall and many public City buildings and facilities have been shut to in-person transactions as services were transitioned to a virtual environment to safeguard community health and safety. City Hall remains fully accessible for services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus. The City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and to turn on notifications for up-to-date information. For notifications by email, subscribe to the City’s E-Notifications at www.weho.org/email. Visit the City’s event and meetings calendar at www.weho.org/calendar and news archive at www.weho.org/news.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please contact the LA County Department of Public Health Chief Communications Officer, Carl A. Kemp, at (213) 240-8144 or [email protected].

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or [email protected].