Mask up again


Citing a wave of new cases—2,755 in the past 14 days, more than in all of July—and a refusal of some residents to abide by his strongly worded recommendation to wear masks indoors whether vaccinated or not, Ventura County Public Health Director Dr. Levin issued an Aug. 20 order that requires all businesses in the county to enforce an indoor mask requirement through at least Sept. 19.

While both the San Francisco and Los Angeles metro areas are experiencing a flattening of COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks, the same cannot be said of Ventura County. Even with 58% of the population of 850,000 fully vaccinated, the Delta variant has run roughshod over the county.

“Masks alone do not prevent COVID but they help limit the spread,” Levin told The Acorn. It is “reasonable to require” that indoor masks be worn indoors, he said.

Becca Whitnall