Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings, including when shopping, taking public transit or seeking medical care, after growing concerns that an increase in coronavirus cases has been caused by residents failing to voluntarily take that precaution.
Newsom’s order came a week after Orange County rescinded a requirement for residents to wear masks and as other counties across California were debating whether to join local jurisdictions that had mandated face coverings.
“Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered — putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease,” Newsom said in a statement. “California’s strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations. That means wearing a face covering, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing.”
Under state law, residents who violate the new requirement could be charged with a misdemeanor and potentially face a financial penalty, according to a representative for the Newsom administration. However, officials have shied away from enforcing other statewide coronavirus mandates with similar actions, choosing instead to encourage compliance and educate residents about the benefits of safeguards against spread of the virus.
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Jair Guido, 36, a veterinarian visiting from Durango, Mexico, right, wearing a sombrero with an American flag draped over his shoulders, walks with other pedestrians along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. Guido said that he wore this outfit to show people that he is proud to be a Mexican and that he loves America. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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A mask-wearing skateboarder and her dog make their way along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Pedestrians, some with face coverings, some without, walk past musicians Brent Kendell, background left, and Sam Jones, background right, as they perform at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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People wear masks while walking along the boardwalk in Venice Beach. Californians must wear face masks in public under a coronavirus order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Pedestrians cross the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Hollywood. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public, following growing concerns that an increase in coronavirus cases has been caused by residents failing to voluntarily take that precaution.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Sophia Strauss, left, and Sarah Hoffmeister celebrate after their drive-through graduation from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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A man wears a mask at the Orange Circle on Thursday in Orange. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings due to the coronavirus. Orange County recently eased the requirement.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
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Pedestrians walk along 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles Thursday. Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered Californians to wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Shoppers stroll near the Orange Circle on Thursday in Orange. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered all Californians to wear face coverings while in public or high-risk settings due to the coronavirus.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
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New West Charter School vice principal Mark Herrera shouts at graduate Joe Reid to come and receive his diploma during a drive-up graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 at the charter school in Los Angeles.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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A worker directs drivers at a drive-up testing site for COVID-19 outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium at UCLA.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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Destiny VanSciner is tested for COVID-19 with an oral swab by family nurse practitioner Anniesatu Newland at a walk-in site at St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in South Los Angeles.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Melissa Gomes fixes the tassel on the mortarboard of Sarah Anggraini as the new graduate gets ready for a photo at Chaffey College, which held a drive-through graduation, in Rancho Cucamonga.
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
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Maricela Moreno, manager at El Tarasco in Marina del Rey, disinfects cash at the restaurant.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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Mildred “Millie” Stratton waves to a caravan of cars led by Alhambra police officers and firefighters. The parade past her home celebrated Stratton’s 102nd birthday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Eric Larkin hands an order to Brittany Wright as she fastens her face covering outside the Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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“I would rather fend for myself than rely on the government for shelter,” says Kenny Welch, standing beneath a 110 Freeway overpass in Los Angeles.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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Ed Hassan, the owner of Mr. Frost Ice Cream truck, makes his rounds in Tustin. Hassan had been on lockdown for about six weeks and took the time to repaint and reorganize his cargo van. “I thought they wanted me at home so I was at home. But there are huge demands,” he says.
(Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times)
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A jogger passes Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles as local stay-at-home orders are increasingly relaxed months into the coronavirus outbreak.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Hikers and bikers traverse the Santa Fe Dam trail as county parks officially reopen to the public.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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A woman, masked against COVID-19, walks past a building that features the image of Britney Spears at a shopping center in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Manon Guijarro, a new graduate of Pierce College, has her photo taken by friend Paige Johnson at Chris Burden’s outdoor work “Urban Light” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Mary Perez, a salesperson at High Class Jewels on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, helps a customer as he tries on a gold rope chain inside the recently reopened store.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
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Professional dog walker Lindsay Rojas takes golden retrievers Gomez, left, and Nikki for a stroll along Le Bourget Avenue in Culver City.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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The Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team banks over downtown Los Angeles in formation to salute healthcare workers and first responders on May 15.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Maria Morales, center, a member of the USC class of 2020, participates in virtual graduation via Zoom with her brother Manny Morales, left, mom Pilar Morales and stepdad Victor Ramos from her home in Orange.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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On a recent day, there’s not a face mask in sight as a roller skater and others share the reopened walking path on the Strand in Manhattan Beach.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Lorena Jimenez joins coworkers, family and friends at a candlelight vigil for Rosa Luna outside Riverside Community Hospital. Luna, 68, was a housekeeper at the hospital for 25 years before she died recently of COVID-19.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
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Old friends who share Iranian heritage and the Assyrian language play backgammon while enjoying one another’s company at Reseda Park.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Ross Curtis, right, says, “You gotta make it fun,” as he and Saul Osorio place food in vehicles at the Banc of California Stadium. The Salvation Army was distributing 2,000 boxes of food to pre-registered local Angelenos struggling due to the pandemic.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Bell Vasquez takes her son Israel, 4, for a spin while visiting the boardwalk in Venice Beach.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Olivia Craig, left, Rani Mathew, Kathy Trigueiro and Christina Moore, members of the healthcare staff of the Los Robles Health System, applaud as one of two C-130s flies over Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks in honor of healthcare providers and first responders throughout Ventura County.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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The Pasadena City Council opened the Rose Bowl Loop, allowing visitors to enjoy the popular 3-mile trail around the stadium.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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Crew members of a Hainan Airlines flight walk through the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
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A woman wearing a protective mask walks past a shuttered business in Long Beach.
(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
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Thousands of rental cars are stored at Dodger Stadium as the coronavirus crisis has caused rentals to nosedive.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
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Salt women’s clothing store owner Holly Boies looks out her front door at an empty Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice. Boies was planning to open her store for curbside pickup.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
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Ben, left, Julia, Luke and Ethan Brenier help their mom prepare to open the Wishing Well store in Whittier after being closed due to health restrictions.
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
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A security guard gets some exercise while keeping watch on the Apple Store at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.
(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
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Boats pass through a channel on a hot day in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The city was crowded by an influx of Californians amid the pandemic.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
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Some beachgoers actively use the beach while others relax on the sand, despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s active-use-only order, in Huntington Beach.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
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Christine Gamez of Fullerton returns her fostered dog, Tyson, to the South L.A. animal shelter. Gamez was emotional because she could no longer continue to foster Tyson due to her current living situation.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
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Customers defy social distancing and the wearing of masks to stand in line at the recently opened Nomads Canteen in San Clemente. The restaurant opened its doors to dine-in services in defiance of California’s stay-at-home order.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
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After making a finger prick to draw blood from a patient, Hannah Veal places the blood on an antibody testing device at a drive-through testing site behind the Westside Walk-in Clinic in Los Angeles.
(Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times)
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Fiona Sellers, 16, makes a stew for herself and her mom at Elysian Park in Los Angeles. Sellers and her mom, who live in an RV, were using the outdoor grills to cook. She brought her laptop with her to the cooking area so that she could do online schoolwork.
(Gabriella Angotti-Jones/Los Angeles Times)
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Traveling nurse Gail Cunningham waves thanks outside the emergency room entrance to Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley as residents pay tribute to her and other medical personnel with a drive-by rally.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
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Jaime Miranda creates an arrangement at Lupita’s Flowers in downtown Los Angeles ahead of Mother’s Day weekend.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
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From left, Calabasas residents and friends Diana Villena, with her dog, Muca; Jason Tiba; Tali Nadjar; Justin Siegal; and Hanson Dickman practice social distancing while spending time together at a park in Calabasas. They are all graduates of Calabasas High School.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
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Scene from the Donut Hole, the historic drive-through doughnut shop in La Puente.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
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A scene from “Knives Out,” with actor Don Johnson, seen at the Mission Tiki Drive-in Theatre in Montclair. Opened with one screen in 1956, the Mission Tiki expanded to four screens in 1975 and began renovation in 2006, updating to FM transmitters and digital projectors.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
State agencies such as the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which enforces workplace safety requirements, could take action, an administration official said.
The mask requirement comes as California and Los Angeles County saw single-day highs in coronavirus cases Wednesday, a clear sign that the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of waning in the state. More than 5,300 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in California thus far, including more than 3,000 in L.A. County.
Until now, state public health officials had only recommended that Californians wear face coverings, which, if worn by someone with the virus, have been shown to decrease the chances of spreading COVID-19.
The state mandate exempts children 2 years old and younger, and people with a medical, mental health or developmental disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering. Restaurant customers are also exempt when eating and drinking, as are residents engaged in outdoor recreation as long as they are able to keep distance from others.
Face coverings also are not required for the hearing impaired, or those communicating with them, or for workers whose health may be put at risk or who may need to temporarily remove a mask to perform a task or service.
Masks must be worn by Californians in their workplaces when serving customers or any member of the public, by all food service workers, when walking through parking facilities and hallways at work, and when riding on elevators, according to the order. People who drive buses, taxis, ride-hailing vehicles or any other service that accepts passengers also must wear masks.
Newsom in mid-March issued the nation’s first stay-at-home order, arguing at the time that the restrictions were necessary to slow the spread of the virus. Since that time, the Democratic governor has made it clear that enforcing the order, as well as deciding when to ease the restrictions, is up to counties and cities to decide.
“This is a statewide requirement and flows from the same legal authority as all of the other state orders,” Kate Folmar, spokeswoman for the California Health and Human Services Agency, said of the mask requirement.
State Public Health Officer Dr. Sonia Angell said wearing face coverings is an effective way to decrease the spread of the coronavirus.
“As Californians venture into our communities more,” she said, “wearing face coverings is another important way we can help protect one another.”
A recent study from Germany found that masks reduced the daily growth rate of reported infections by around 40%. Another study, published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that “wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission.”
Dr. Shruti Gohil, associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UC Irvine, said face coverings, in addition to frequent hand washing, are helpful in reducing the spread of infection as communities reopen and physical distancing becomes less possible.
“In my opinion, if we want to reengage we have to put all of our energy into figuring out how to shave off every piece of risk that we can, reasonably, without crippling our society,” she said. “I do think it’s hard for the public to digest what the right steps are, and I think in a time of pandemic it is nice to have authorities steer the ship as stably as possible. I do think that perhaps the governor’s move allows for that at some level.”
Dr. Peter N. Bretan, president of the California Medical Assn., said Newsom’s order was a reminder that the “COVID-19 crisis is not over.”
“We hope this order will offer some support and protection for local public health officers who have been placed in untenable situations in counties across California, coming under attack for only trying to do what science tells us is necessary to protect public health,” Bretan said in a written statement.
California joins New York, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island and New Mexico in implementing a mandatory face-covering requirement, according to the National Governors Assn. The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday first reported that the Newsom administration was considering a statewide face-covering requirement.
Some Californians have openly rebelled against directives to wear face coverings, which they consider to be government overreach and an infringement on their personal freedom.
Last week, the Orange County public health officer resigned after weeks of verbal attacks, including a death threat, over her mandatory mask rules. Her replacement rescinded the rules amid intense pressure from the Board of Supervisors, and now the county only “strongly recommends” wearing masks in public settings.
Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said she was surprised by the governor’s statewide mandate, noting that Orange County’s infection rate and hospitalization numbers are below the state thresholds for reopening. Steel had previously advocated for the county health officer to loosen the requirement that all residents wear masks when in public.
“A mandatory order was too strong,” she said. “I think our residents in Orange County are very smart. If they feel sick, they’re going to wear a mask. It doesn’t really have to be mandatory.”
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes indicated that he believes it’s not the responsibility of law enforcement to ensure compliance with the state’s mask order. Instead, “it is each person’s responsibility to wear a face covering, and follow other recommended safeguards, in order to stop the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
“I expect that Orange County residents will continue to use common sense approaches for the benefit of their own health, as well as the collective health of other county residents,” he said in a statement. “We must do what is necessary to stop the transmission of COVID-19, enabling us to further open remaining businesses, places of recreation, and the hospitality industry.”
Officials in Riverside County, which previously rescinded a face-covering requirement, urged residents to follow the state’s new rules.
“Social distancing, washing our hands and wearing facial coverings are all simple measures that we can all abide by to protect ourselves and our fellow neighbors,” Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairman V. Manuel Perez said in a statement. “I am happy that our governor has made this decision.”
Though he declined to comment specifically on Newsom’s mandate, saying officials hadn’t yet had time to review it in detail, San Bernardino County spokesman David Wert said “the county is a big believer in face coverings.”
“The county’s position has been that face coverings do reduce the risk of spreading the virus, and we have strongly recommended that everyone wear them when they go out in public, and we’ve provided incentives to businesses that require them,” he said.
Fresno and San Bernardino counties have also rescinded face-covering requirements due to public opposition.
Many of California’s other most populous counties, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo, require mask wearing in public.
Times staff writers Stephanie Lai and Rong Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
