Los Angeles County responded to criticism that the Emmy Awards, in which mostly maskless celebrities attended, did not follow proper COVID-19 protocols and didn’t abide by the county’s mask mandate. The Emmys, it said, are a “television production,” which exempts the event from county rules around masks. “The Emmy Award Show is a television production, and persons appearing on the show are considered performers,” the statement said. “All persons appearing on or in the audience of the Emmy Award Show were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.” County officials said that the organizers of the awards banquet for television had “reached out to Public Health in advance to share their safety protocols, which exceeded the baseline requirements for television and film productions” before adding that “careful planning before large events is essential to assure that all health and safety requirements are adequately addressed.” Los Angeles County this summer re-imposed its mask mandates …