Good morning, SoCal. Here's what you need to know today.
Your Weather Planner
It'll be a great day to visit the beach today as water temperatures these days have warmed up. Morning clouds will clear by noon.
Temperatures remain near average, even in the deserts, as high pressure retreats down to the southeast. That will also cut off the plume of moisture, making it feel less humid inland.
Then, over the weekend, it'll start to feel muggy again as a chance of monsoon related storms return.
Get your 7-day forecast: LA West | LA East | San Fernando Valley/Ventura County | Orange County
Around SoCal
1. Mask mandate returns for LA County as COVID cases soar
Los Angeles County residents will again be required to wear masks in indoor public settings beginning Saturday night, health officials announced Thursday.
The mandate means customers will again be required to mask up when entering any indoor public establishment, including retail shops, grocery stores, restaurants and workplaces. Davis said indoor dining will remain open, but customers will have to remain masked while they are not eating or drinking.
On Thursday, the county reported 1,537 new infections, the highest number since early March. It was the seventh consecutive day of new case numbers that topped 1,000. Davis said the rate of virus spread in the county has officially risen from moderate to substantial, with infections five times more likely to occur among unvaccinated residents. The current seven-day average rate of daily new cases in the county is now at 7.1 cases per 100,000 residents, up from 4.8 just last week.
Currently, 69% of county residents aged 16 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 61% are fully vaccinated. Among those aged 65 and older, 88% have received at least one dose, and 78% are fully vaccinated.
Black residents continue to have the lowest rate of vaccinations in the county. As of Sunday, 45% of Black residents in the county have received at least one dose, compared to 55% among Latinos, 66% of white residents and 76% of Asian residents.
2. Staff and inmates injured in altercation at Pitchess Detention Center
Seven staff members and at least two inmates were injured in an altercation at the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic Thursday.
Detention center staff were conducting security checks in a dorm at about 3:05 p.m. when an inmate assaulted a deputy, according to Deputy Miguel Meza of the Sheriff's Information Bureau.
Multiple inmates joined in the scuffle following the initial assault and additional deputies were called to the scene for assistance.
Backup deputies deployed pepper spray and more than 20 inmates were exposed, Meza said.
Six deputies and one custody assistant were taken to hospitals with minor injuries while two inmates were taken to hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, said Deputy Shawn Du Busky of the Sheriff's Information Bureau.
3. Deadline arrives for unhoused residents to leave two Venice Boardwalk zones
Sanitation workers are expected to arrive in Venice Friday morning to clear a portion of the Venice boardwalk as the deadline arrives for unhoused residents to accept offers of housing and shelter or leave the area.
The deadline to leave the area, designated "Zone 5," between Navy Street and Rose Avenue, was initially set for 7 a.m. July 9, but was extended by a week, after outreach teams with St. Joseph's Center requested more time to transition people into housing. The teams are working section by section on the boardwalk to bring people inside with a promise from the city of a pathway to permanent housing. As of Thursday afternoon, 118 people had accepted the offer.
The deadline for Zone 5 was extended to match the deadline for Zone 4, between Rose and Dudley avenues. Friday morning, enforcement is expected to begin in both zones, and Bureau of Sanitation workers will clear the area.
Around the Nation
1. Death toll in Europe floods over 110 as rescues continue
2. Biden, Pacific Rim leaders discuss economic way out of pandemic
3. Reuters photographer killed as Afghan forces fight Taliban
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SoCal Snapshot
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, center, holds a press conference about the new Child Tax Credit Thursday in Los Angeles. The program provides children and their families with payments throughout the year for food, childcare, diapers, healthcare, clothing and other items. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)