Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he held his breath when he took off his mask to pose for a photo with NBA legend Magic Johnson at a football game Sunday, claiming there is ‘zero percent chance’ of COVID infection when doing this.
Garcetti responded Wednesday to criticism after photos posted to social media show the mayor maskless at the SoFi Stadium during the NFC Conference Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
The LA mayor pushed back any suggestion that he endangered anyone by briefly slipping off his mask at the game, while, by his account, holding his breath.
‘I’m holding my breath literally for two seconds,’ he said. ‘There is a zero percent chance of infection from that. I put my mask right back on … to make sure that there is no spread. And I think that we should all follow that advice until we’re out of this period.’
According to the CDC, like other respiratory diseases, people who are infected with COVID-19 emit tiny virus-laden droplets when they breath, speak or sing. Once these are suspended in the air, they can then be taken in by another person — allowing the infection to spread.
Garcetti wasn’t alone in facing criticism for shedding his mask last weekend, if even for a moment.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed also were photographed without masks at the game.
The smiling Democrats were seen posing barefaced for photographs with basketball legend Magic Johnson inside a box suite at the SoFi Stadium during the game.
Like Garcetti, Newsom said he removed his mask briefly during the game.
‘I was very judicious yesterday … In my left hand’s the mask, and I took a photo,’ he said. ‘The rest of the time I wore it, as we all should.’
Three days after being photographed without a face mask, Garcetti joined other officials at a press conference on Wednesday to urge fans headed for the Super Bowl to strictly adhere to pandemic safety protocols that include staying masked, except while eating or drinking.
Garcetti denied his actions put anyone in danger.
‘I won’t pull it down for two seconds anymore — that’s easy,’ Garcetti said. ‘But to me, it is crystal clear that nobody has been endangered by that and I’m trying to model the good behavior of making sure we wear this (for the) entire game.’
San Francisco Mayor London Breed (left), Johnson (center) and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (right) smile for the camera without masks in defiance of county and private rules
Magic Johnson and California Governor Gavin Newsom were among the high-profile figures spotted without masks during Sunday’s NFL game in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke Wednesday urging fans headed for the Super Bowl to strictly adhere to pandemic safety protocols including staying masked, except while eating or drinking. The mayor faced scrutiny after he appeared maskless in photos from Sunday’s game
State mask mandates require Californians to wear masks in all indoor public spaces and workplaces through February 15 regardless of vaccination status.
In Los Angeles County, residents are expected to mask up in ‘all indoor public settings, venues, gatherings, and public and private businesses’. Masks are also required at all outdoor mega events.
It appears some of the photos were taken outside the boxed-in suite, but it wouldn’t make much difference at the So-Fi stadium, where masks are required indoors and outdoors during events with more than 5,000 people.
Los Angeles County has imposed some of the most restrictive pandemic rules in the nation, yet it also has seen among the highest rates for infections and deaths in the state of 40 million.
Los Angeles Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said her office continues to review pandemic data and she didn’t rule out the possibility that the county could drop or amend the mask rule, with the Super Bowl more than a week away.
The smiling Democrats were seen posing barefaced for photographs inside a box suite at the SoFi Stadium during yesterday’s game that pitted the Los Angeles Rams against the San Francisco 49ers. Johnson (center) is pictured flanked by unidentified football fans
State mask mandates require Californians to wear masks in all indoor public spaces and workplaces through February 15 regardless of vaccination status. Johnson (right) is pictured posing with fans in front of the field
Still, she indicated that might be unlikely.
‘Transmission is super high here. And we’ve got to get to lower rates before it makes sense to be taking off our masks,’ she said.
When asked why the SoFi mask requirement made sense, when millions of people have attended NFL games this year, including in places without strict mask rules, Ferrer didn’t answer directly.
She suggested risk for transmission remained high in large venues, and emphasized that determining where a person became infected can often be difficult, if not impossible.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Monday that the blanket COVID-19 masking policies in the county need to be reconsidered.
‘They don’t make a difference when they’re not consistently followed or enforced,’ she said. ‘I strongly believe individuals should be allowed to make an informed choice about whether to mask up or not.’
The SoFi Stadium, which hosted the NFC Championship game, requires masks for all attendees
Los Angeles County requires masks for all indoor public settings and outdoor mega events
California requires masks at indoor public spaces through February 15
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