Los Angeles to require masks at large outdoor sporting, music events

[August 18, 2021]    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Fans attending baseball, football and outdoor music events in Los Angeles County will be required to wear a mask starting on Friday regardless of their vaccination status, according to an order on Tuesday from the health department.

Fans in the left field bleachers at Dodger Stadium wear masks before the start of the Dodgers game against the Miami Marlins. As the CDC loosens restrictions many cites and venues are still requiring people to wear masks. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The order targets "outdoor mega-events" that attract crowds of over 10,000 people like baseball games at Dodger Stadium and National Football League games at SoFi Stadium, which is home to the Rams and Chargers.

It also covers music festivals, concerts, parades, outdoor theaters and other large gatherings, including venues like the Hollywood Bowl, which has been staging 100% capacity concerts for vaccinated audiences of up to 17,000.

The new order is an expansion of a July mandate that requires masks at indoor restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, concerts, supermarkets and other indoor public spaces in Los Angeles in response to rising cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

Los Angeles County reported 2,426 new COVID-19 cases on Monday as well as five additional deaths.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Matthew Lewis)

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