Reinstating mask mandate in LA 'not punishment, but prevention': Solis

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis appeared on ABC's "This Week," days after an indoor mask mandate was reinstated amid rising COVID-19 cases.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis said Sunday that restoring the mask mandate there is "not punishment, but prevention" as the county responds to the alarming spike in cases of the highly transmissible delta variant. "We're up to almost 1,900 cases and over 460 individuals that are now in our ICU unit. This is very disturbing," Solis told ABC "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "As responsible elected officials, we have to do something, and in this case, the county has the ability to do that through our health order, through our health officer." The county announced Thursday that it would reinstate the mask mandate at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, nearly a month after California Gov. Gavin Newsom waived many of the state's COVID-19 restrictions. Though roughly 52% of LA County residents have been vaccinated, the mask mandate applies to all county residents regardless of vaccination status, as the county endeavors to avoid overwhelming local hospitals and protect vulnerable groups.