More than 10 million people live in LA County.

That makes it the biggest county in the US by far.

Two weeks ago, California's governor said it was time for people living there

and across the state to move beyond COVID restrictions.

To move beyond capacity limits, to move beyond social distancing and physical distancing.

And yes, move beyond wearing these masks.

So that was Gavin Newsom on June 15th.

This Monday,

LA County's public health department is strongly recommending everyone,

regardless of vaccination status, where masks.

The county health department issued that recommendation,

which is not a requirement, but it mirrors guidance from the World Health Organization.

Siding in increase of the highly contagious delta variant of the COVID virus.

In LA, like everywhere else in the country, the more contagious delta variant is spreading fast.

We do continue to see an increase in the delta variants as a proportion of variants of concern.

LA County's public health director Barbara Ferrer said this past week,

almost 60 percent of eligible people in the county are fully vaccinated

and pretty well protected from the delta variant.

But there's still that other 40 percent.

And the risk those people face is easy to see when you consider that

of more than 12,000 COVID deaths in the county since vaccination began.

99.8 percent.

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