People wear face coverings inside Grand Central Market on December 15, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:19 PM PT – Friday, November 18, 2022

Los Angeles County is once again recommending residents to mask up. This is due to the fact that COVID-19 infections within the City of Angels have sharply risen since the start of November.

On Thursday, officials shifted back to “strongly recommending” mask-wearing in all indoor public settings. The recommendation is not ruled as a mask mandate.

County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis spoke about the new recommendation.

“Now it is strongly recommended that all individuals wear a high-quality mask that fits well in the following settings: in public indoor spaces; when using public transit, including buses, ride-shares, taxis and medical transport; correctional and detention facilities; and homeless and emergency shelters,” Davis said.

Over the past few months, indoor mask wearing by Los Angeles County residents has been a matter of personal preference. However, masks have been required in all healthcare facilities, congregate-care facilities and for anyone who was exposed to the virus within the past 10 days.

This comes amid a rise in the county’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 infections. The County is reporting about 1,500 new cases per day. That number is up from the 1,300 new cases per day that was reported over a week ago.

L.A. Healthcare officials have teased the return of the mask mandate since this summer.

Democratic presidential candidate (and future US Vice President) US Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) speaks at the National Forum on Wages and Working People: Creating an Economy That Works for All at Enclave, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 27, 2019. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:11 PM PT – Friday, November 18, 2022

Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted the United States lasting commitment to the Into-Pacific as she addressed regional leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

“Our message is clear,” Harris said. “The United States has an enduring economic commitment to the Indo-Pacific. And there is no better economic partner for this region than the United States of America.”

On Friday, during remarks at the event in Thailand, Harris told attendees that there is no better economic partner for the region than the U.S., as it is a “proud Pacific power” and has a “vital interest in promoting a region that is open, interconnected, prosperous, secure and resilient.”

After former President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, the centerpiece of former President Barack Obama’s “pivot” to Asia, several Asian nations started to doubt the American commitment to the region.

She affirmed the U.S. will continue to bolster its commitment to the region and touted the Biden administration’s work to strengthen ties with several nations. The vice president mentioned that private sector collaboration is of utmost priority.

“Under our administration, the United States is more engaged with the Indo-Pacific than we have ever been,” Harris said. “We have infused new energy and leadership into our unrivaled network of global alliances and partnerships.”

As China’s presence in the Indo-Pacific continues to grow, during her trip, Harris will also travel to Padawan to demonstrate America’s commitment to upholding law in the South China Sea.

She maintains that the U.S’s approach is “based on collaboration, sustainability, transparency and fairness.”