San Francisco eases mask rule, official says LA not ready

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — COVID-19 case numbers are on the decrease in Los Angeles County but a top health official says it’s too soon to consider relaxing mask and vaccination requirements in LA — as San Francisco plans to do next week. LA County reported just over 26,000 new coronavirus cases, down over the past two weeks from about 46,000, the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic. Health director Barbara Ferrer says LA County has likely passed the peak of omicron transmission. San Francisco health officials say that the city’s rapidly dropping case rates will allow the lifting of some indoor mask mandates starting Feb. 1.