Long Beach now requiring masks on public transit

Lengthy Seashore officers issued a brand new order to require masks on all public transit within the metropolis.

The up to date well being order went into impact Friday, aligning the town with Los Angeles County’s masks mandate on all public transit and indoor public transportation hubs.

The native orders come after a federal decide in Florida struck down the nationwide masks mandate protecting airways and different public transportation.

So now, regardless of the decide voiding the nationwide mandate, everybody aged 2 and older has to masks up whereas on trains, buses, taxis and ride-shares in Lengthy Seashore — no matter their COVID-19 vaccination standing

Masking can also be nonetheless required indoors at airport and bus terminals, prepare stations and seaports.

In Lengthy Seashore, the seven-day coronavirus case fee stood at 72.8 per 100,000 individuals final week.

Officers mentioned that whereas this means low ranges of transmission, the case and positivity charges in Lengthy Seashore have been growing because the extremely contagious BA.2 subvariant spreads.

“At the moment, we should proceed to require community-level prevention methods, together with masking on public transit and in transportation hubs, to guard essentially the most susceptible in high-risk settings and safeguard the well being care system,” Lengthy Seashore officers mentioned in a information launch.