Garcetti: Non-Medical Essential Workers, Customers Required To Wear Face Coverings
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Tuesday that non-medical essential employers as well as customers visiting essential businesses in the city of Los Angeles will be required to wear facial coverings starting Friday.
Employers must supply face coverings or reimburse employees who purchase them for use at work.
"We wanted to wait until these [coverings] were available," Garcetti said. "We can see people now selling them on corners, online. Our capacity, thanks to the amazing apparel industry here, has expanded and people can buy them online."
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The new Worker Protection Order goes into effect Thursday night at midnight and also requires that employers ensure workers have access to clean restrooms with necessary soap or sanitizer and must allow employees to wash their hands every 30 minutes.
"We're also encouraging all essential retail businesses to add plexiglass barriers between cashiers and customers," Garcetti said. "We know there isn't yet enough plexiglass to go around, but we do hope to work to get as much of that as possible."
As for store operations, businesses will also be required to implement social distancing guidelines for customers, visitors and workers and will be allowed to refuse service to customers without a face covering.
"Cover up, save a life, it's that simple," Garcetti said.
On Tuesday night, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an interview that he was considering an order that would implement the measure statewide.
