Los Angeles City joined the County’s easing of wearing masks indoors today, February 25, 2022.  Mayor Garcetti made the announcement that brought the City into alignment with the County in a tweet today:

 

Los Angeles County’s order can be viewed here, and Los Angeles City’s order can be viewed here.  Here are the top five issues employers must understand about the orders easing the masking requirements:

1. Covered establishments

The County and City orders ease the indoor mask requirements for the following entities/venues:

All indoor public settings, venues, gatherings, and public and private businesses (some examples: offices, manufacturing, warehouses, retail, food and beverage services, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, and state and local government offices serving the public, and Indoor Mega Events, among others).

2. Entities may choose between two options to allow fully vaccinated persons to be exempt from the indoor masking requirement.

The orders provide the following two options:

Option #1 – To allow both fully vaccinated customers/visitors and fully vaccinated onsite workers to unmask while indoors if they verify proof of full vaccination or a recent negative test for everyone age 5 or older and all onsite workers prior to entering.

Option #2 – To allow fully vaccinated customers and visitors to unmask while indoors, while all onsite workers, including contractors, remain masked, the entities must verify proof of either full vaccination or a recent negative test for all customers and visitors age 5 or older.  All onsite workers must remain masked while indoors under this option.

3. Employers must offer masks to employees under option #2.

Employers utilizing option #2 above must offer at no costs to all employee a well-fitting respirator (N95/KN95/KF94).  Employers must follow all regulations regarding providing masks to employees, including all requirements under the Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).

4. Individuals do not need to meet the vaccination or negative test verification requirements to inter indoor facilities, as long as they are wearing a well-fitting masks.

5. Employers must still comply with Cal/OSHA ETS masking requirements.

Generally, the Cal/OSHA ETS requires employers to provide employees who are not fully vaccinated with face coverings and to ensure they are properly worn over the nose and mouth when indoors and in vehicles.  Face covering are not required outdoors, regardless of vaccination status, unless there is an outbreak.
Employers must also provide and ensure use of face coverings by employees:

  • When required by CDPH,
  • When an employee had COVID-19 or had close contact with a COVID-19 case and returns to work, as explained in the section of this FAQ on CDPH’s Isolation and Quarantine Guidance, and
  • When riding in employer-provided motor vehicle transportation.

More information about the Cal/OSHA ETS mask requirements can be read here.