After viewing the NFC championship game held at SoFi Stadium in L.A., Supervisor Kathryn Barger called for an end to the county’s “blanket COVID-19 masking policies.”
In her statement, the representative for the 5th District, which includes the Santa Clarita Valley, expressed her belief that masking should come down to informed choice, as opposed to mandated policy from the state or county government.
“Modern stadiums like SoFi Stadium have strong air circulation and all attendees of the game were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test. Some fans evidently felt this was enough to protect them against COVID-19,” Barger said in a statement released on Monday. “I strongly believe individuals should be allowed to make an informed choice about whether to mask up or not.”
Barger then called for the county to do away with the universal policies, saying they “don’t make a difference when they’re not consistently followed or enforced.”
“We need to trust the public to make the best personal decisions for themselves based on their unique risks and circumstances,” said Barger.
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department states on its website that, in L.A. County, “Everyone 2 years of age and older must wear a mask in all indoor public places and at outdoor mega events, whether they have been vaccinated or not.”
Mega events are defined by the L.A. County Department of Public Health as indoor events with more than 500 attendees and outdoor events with more than 5,000 attendees.
The Centers for Disease Control states on its website that “people do not need to wear masks when outdoors. In areas of substantial or high transmission, people might choose to wear a mask outdoors when in sustained close contact with other people.”
Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium.
