As Coronavirus activity remains on a rise in California, with COVID-19 infection and hospital numbers surging as the highly contagious BA.5 subvariant of omicron spreads across the country, some California counties find themselves in the category the CDC recommends for reinstating mask mandates indoors.

A recent article from The LA Times reported with the coronavirus resurgent and cases and hospitalizations on the rise, Los Angeles is poised to become the first Southern California county to reinstate mandatory public indoor masking. In fact, unless conditions improve by the end of the month, Los Angeles County will issue a face covering order.

According to a report from The Sacramento Bee, the state surpassed 4,000 patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 late last week, the first time above that mark since late February, after having dropped below 1,000 in late April. The health department reported the latest tally at 4,277 in hospital beds with COVID-19, a 20% jump in the past week and California’s highest tally since Feb. 26. The total includes 453 COVID-positive patients in intensive care units, up 15% compared to last week.

The fatality rate is also ticking back up. State health officials reported a seven-day average of 21 virus deaths. That remains well below the original omicron surge’s peak of nearly 275 deaths per day, but is more than double the 10 daily deaths reported in early May and up from 17 at the start of June.

What would trigger the mask order?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends universal indoor public masking for those 2 and older when a county enters the high COVID-19 community level — a designation signifying both that coronavirus transmission is elevated and that the spread is starting to affect hospitals.

L.A. County officially entered the high community level Thursday. Should it remain there for the next two weeks, the county will reissue an indoor mask mandate with an effective date of July 29.

No other California county has publicly tied its placement on the CDC’s community level scale to a renewal of masking orders. Along with L.A., 41 other counties are in the high level as of this week.

Most places recommend, but do not require, masking indoors while in public.