Southern California urges residents to 'mask up' -- even at home
"It will just add a layer of protection while we get through this surge and try to get our case numbers and our transmission way down," the county's health director said.
LOS ANGELES (KGO) -- You've heard the message to "mask up" when you leave your house, but because of rising coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County, the message now is to also mask up at home.
"It will just add a layer of protection while we get through this surge and try to get our case numbers and our transmission way down," Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Health Director said.
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The new mask mandate in LA County says essential workers who leave their house to go to work, and even those who go out to run errands for their family, should put a mask on when they come back home and interact with people.
Health officials aren't asking people to wear masks statewide - yet.
"We know that a great deal of transmission happens in the household, transmission with people you live with who go out and live their days, they are essential workers. They become infected. They are asymptomatic," Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Secretary of Health & Human Services said.
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"And then they get a high-risk family member infected. So the same rules that help protect you in your workplace can also protect you in your household," Dr. Ghaly said.
Dr. Ghaly says science supports the notion that in multigenerational households or crowded living arrangements, wearing a mask at home makes sense.
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