The city of West Hollywood is getting the word out that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has announced that Los Angeles County has entered the “high” COVID-19 community level.

On both July 16 and 17, the county reported more than 7,000 new COVID-19 cases.

On July 14 , Los Angeles County exceeded a seven-day average of more than 10 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 persons. The unfortunate milestone places the county of Los Angeles in the “high” COVID-19 community level as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The L.A. County health officer is extending the requirement for all persons, two years of age and older, to wear a well-fitting mask in indoor transportation hubs, such as gates and terminals, and on public ground transportation within Los Angeles County.

According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, if the county remains in the “high” COVID-19 community level for two consecutive weeks, universal indoor masking will be implemented on July 29 to help slow the rate of transmission and protect those most vulnerable.

It is important to note that indoor masking is already a required safety measure in many places, including at all healthcare settings, public transit and transit hubs, long-term care settings, shelters and cooling centers, and correctional facilities. Indoor masking also continues to be required at worksites with outbreaks and is required for all individuals during the 10 days after a COVID-19 diagnosis or exposure when they are around others.

Businesses and employers are allowed to require masks at work, and many have done just that, either by maintaining an indoor masking requirement throughout the pandemic or reinstating one as cases began increasing.

If L.A. County implements universal indoor masking, residents and workers will need to wear masks in all indoor public spaces, including shared office spaces, manufacturing facilities, retail stores and at indoor events. Indoor areas of restaurants and bars, children’s programs and educational settings would need to institute universal masking as well.

Health officials continue to remind the public that getting vaccinated and staying up-to-date on vaccinations, getting tested and masking-up remain critical as preventive steps in the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For information, visit VaccinateLACounty.com.

Los Angeles County coordinates a COVID-19 West Hollywood testing site at Plummer Park at 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. Tests are being administered by Fulgent Genetics, and advance appointments must be made at la.fulgentgenetics.com. People getting tests should bring ID and confirmation number to the appointment.