Irvine’s Great Park Balloon Reminds All Of Orange County To Mask Up

IRVINE (CBSLA) — The orange Great Park balloon in Irvine is reminding all Orange County residents to mask up.

The iconic balloon – bearing the color of its home county – soars 400 feet above the Great Park and in pre-pandemic times served as a public observation deck.

The balloon remains closed to the public, but it’s an unmistakable, but friendly, reminder to wear face coverings to protect others from COVID-19.

Masks have been particularly contentious in Orange County, where residents protested loudly against a county-wide mask mandate, prompting the county health officer to resign after she received death threats.

However, at least one Orange County city – Costa Mesa – has instituted fines for people who don’t wear masks.