City Issues Clarification: Pasadena Will Join LA County and Continue to Impose Masking on Unvaccinated People Despite State Lifting Mandate

[Updated Tuesday, March 1, 2022 | 8:15 a.m.]  A city official clarified Tuesday morning that Pasadena will not immediately lift its indoor mask mandate for unvaccinated people Tuesday as earlier reports had indicated.

City spokesperson Lisa Derderian said Pasadena will join Los Angeles County in continuing to impose the indoor mask requirement for the time being, despite the state lifting the requirement as of Tuesday.

Local health departments have the ability to maintain stricter requirements that state minimum standards.

Masks continue to be required for everyone at certain indoor settings including health care facilities, transit centers, airports, aboard public transit, in correctional facilities and at homeless shelters and long-term care facilities.

Masking rules have come under increasing criticism from two members of the County Board of Supervisors.

One of the two is Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena on the Board.

The county recently eased its requirement, allowing vaccinated people to remove their masks in indoor locations where all patrons are checked for either a COVID vaccination or a recent negative test.

According to the county Department of Public Health, the agency “will review any additional state guidance changes and provide an update on additional modifications to L.A. County safety measures during (Tuesday’s) Board of Supervisors meeting.”

There has been a growing push by two county supervisors for an end to the county’s mask-wearing mandate. Supervisors Barger and Janice Hahn have both said the county should align its rules fully with the state to avoid confusion and frustration among residents.

Barger on Monday hailed the state’s announcement that it is easing masking rules, and again called for an end to the county requirement.

“During (Tuesday’s) L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting, our county’s public health director has committed to articulating a plan for how L.A. County will adjust its masking mandates and restrictions,” Barger said in a statement. “I look forward to that discussion and will continue to call for clarity and consistency with state and federal guidelines.

“It’s clear to me that, as the Omicron surge continues to decrease in L.A. County, we need to implement flexible COVID-19 infection control policies and move away from rigid approaches. The time for compulsory masking mandates has come to an end.”

On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new standards that rely largely on COVID hospital numbers to govern whether masks should be worn. Those new standards — while resulting in mask recommendations being lifted for much of the country, still classified Los Angeles and San Diego counties as having “high” virus activity and urged that people continue to wear masks.

Under the new CDC guidance, both Orange and Riverside counties are in the “medium” category, so the federal guidance does not require mask-wearing.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer has said that the county’s indoor mask-wearing rule would remain in place until:

• the county’s level of COVID transmission rate falls to the “moderate” level as defined by the CDC and remains there for two weeks; OR

• COVID vaccines have been available to residents under age 5 for at least eight weeks; AND

• no emerging COVID “variants of concern” have been identified that could spark another surge in cases.

According to Ferrer, reaching the CDC’s “moderate” level of transmission requires the county to have a seven-day cumulative infection rate of less than 50 per 100,000 residents. Ferrer said that is expected to happen by March 16, meaning the indoor mask mandate would be completely lifted by March 30.

Los Angeles County lifted its outdoor mask mandate for large event venues, schools and child care centers on Feb. 16.