All Los Angeles Residents To Be Required To Wear Masks Outside The House:

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday evening that all Angelenos, except for small children and those with certain disabilities, would be required to wear face coverings outside.

That marks a significant increase in the city’s rules, but the mayor said it was a necessary step help slow the spread of coronavirus and eventually reopen the economy in a bigger way. “Bring your mask with you whenever you leave your home,” Garcetti said. “That will help us get more freedoms.”

Los Angeles County is the California epicenter of the coronavirus, with more than 34,000 confirmed cases. On Wednesday, officials also reported 47 new fatalities, bringing the county’s death toll to 1,660. The majority of the county’s deaths — roughly 1,300 — occurred over the last month.