A medical doctor is calling for more accountability within Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health, saying its current director has too much power, as she single-handedly enacted COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. Ophthalmologist Dr. Houman Hemmati is requesting the county’s Board of Supervisors to make the public health director position an elected office, and…

As Los Angeles County will not follow the state’s guideline to lift the mask mandate for vaccinated individuals next week, the county’s Department of Public Health outlined the criteria to drop masks in the coming weeks, if not months.  On Feb. 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks indoors starting Feb. 15…

LOS ANGELES—Shortly after the at-home COVID-19 testing program was launched again amid the recent COVID-19 surge, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services announced a temporary pause on the program beginning Jan. 5. The Los Angeles County Home Test Collection program offers at-home COVID-19 nasal swab test kits to all county residents for free via…

LOS ANGELES—Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, students in Los Angeles County must wear masks outdoors where physical distancing is difficult as they return to school, while staff will be required to wear medical-grade masks, according to the county health department’s guidelines updated Jan. 1. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Public Health…

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Triple-digit temperatures continued June 28 as another heat wave brought potentially dangerous conditions to parts of Southern California. “Triple-digit high temperatures will be common over the hottest valleys, foothills and desert between Saturday and Monday,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said over the weekend. “Very warm conditions are likely to continue Tuesday through…