![A masked person is reflected in an aquatic artwork](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f8d6a04/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4479+0+1/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F58%2F61%2Fab8b95db4b66b762c8e5c1c53f8f%2Fla-photos-1staff-810469-me-0716-masks-return-la-county-gem-007.jpg)
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In reinstituting an indoor mask mandate, Los Angeles County has once again positioned itself at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus, particularly the hyper-virulent Delta variant.
But whether the region becomes a national lodestar or remains on its lonesome remains an open question.
![People place orders at a restaurant counter](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ca251a4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4f%2F31%2F8670cf83439591368248e1545d16%2Fla-photos-1staff-810469-me-0716-masks-return-la-county-gem-009.jpg)
L.A. County is far from the only corner of the country to experience a sharp rise in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks. But it’s by far the largest area to turn to mandatory masking, even for those who are vaccinated, in hopes of turning the tide.
The effects of the new health order, which goes into effect Saturday night, won’t become clear for a few weeks — an eternity in a pandemic that’s already demonstrated it can change trajectory on a dime.
![A woman pushes a double stroller with children. All wear masks.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6b7ca32/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F55%2F91%2Fdb73d9b847299f94f88c85a19584%2Fla-photos-1staff-810469-me-0716-masks-return-la-county-gem-008.jpg)
![A woman wears a Day of the Dead-style face mask](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1eef56c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F83%2Fa4%2F8b87679649d880d5801cf1439524%2Fla-photos-1staff-810515-me-masks-return-to-la-county-03.FO.jpg)
![An unmasked man sits at an outdoor table with an iced coffee as another man wearing a mask paints the inside of a shop window](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3cc9986/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffc%2F3c%2F2c8a912a43e5852d503c74f8abb9%2Fla-photos-1staff-810515-me-masks-return-to-la-county-01.FO.jpg)
![A man wearing a mask sweeps the floor of a business](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1c130ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6720x4480+0+0/resize/2000x1333!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd2%2Fa5%2F699095c54fc09e4fba4c2f292346%2Fla-photos-1staff-810515-me-masks-return-to-la-county-02.FO.jpg)
![Travelers make their way through Union Station.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bf541d2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5196x3712+0+0/resize/2000x1429!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffe%2Fbf%2F451dc8f9464ea73e8d1f55b827d4%2Fla-photos-1staff-810469-me-0716-masks-return-la-county-gem-002.jpg)
![People wait to order a sandwich at a restaurant counter.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5fef876/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6224x4320+0+0/resize/2000x1388!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbc%2F49%2Fd30ba484456f806badc63b4b087f%2Fla-photos-1staff-810469-me-0716-masks-return-la-county-gem-010.jpg)
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