CITY OF COMMERCE CITY OF COMMERCE 2535 Commerce Way • Commerce, California 90040 • (323) 722-4805 • FAX (323) 726-6231 2535 Commerce Way • Commerce, California 90040 • (323) 722-4805 • FAX (323) 726-6231
CITY OF COMMERCE
CITY OF COMMERCE
2535 Commerce Way • Commerce, California 90040 • (323) 722-4805 • FAX (323) 726-6231 2535 Commerce Way • Commerce, California 90040 • (323) 722-4805 • FAX (323) 726-6231 February 23, 2022
The Honorable Holly J. Mitchell, Supervisor
Second District, County of Los Angeles
822 Hall of Administration
500 West Temple St., Room 866
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear Supervisor Mitchell,
On behalf of the City of Commerce, I write this letter to express our serious concern with Los Angeles County’s (“County”) decision to continue to uphold an indoor mask mandate beyond the State's repeal of the same on February 15, 2022.
On February 22, 2022 at the City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting, my colleagues and I unanimously agreed to oppose the County’s indoor mask mandate. As you know, the State of California ended its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people on February 15, 2022. The State ended its indoor mask mandate in large part due to the State’s continued declining COVID-19 case rates and hospitalization numbers.
Similarly, the COVID-19 case rates in the City of Commerce have declined. In addition to declining COVID-19 case rates, the vaccination rate for the City of Commerce exceeds 94.3% for all individuals ages five and up, which is among the highest in the region. The data shows that a one-size-fits-all approach is unhelpful and hinders our efforts to achieve a modicum of normalcy for our community.
The City of Commerce respects the Health Officer's professional responsibility to ensure the health and safety of Los Angeles County residents during this ongoing pandemic. Nevertheless, in a County of more than 10 million residents stretched across 4,753 square miles, we urge the Board of Supervisors and the Health Department to take a more localized approach to health orders. Given the scientific data that shows a low transmission rate and high vaccination rate in Commerce, I urge you to revise the Health Officer order to follow the State’s order regarding indoor masking requirements and to allow local jurisdictions to set their own rules based on their own respective trends and data. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Mayor Leonard Mendoza
cc. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Dr. Barbara Ferrer: Director of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health