Gavin Newsom mentioned Monday he wore a masks judiciously throughout Sunday’s San Francisco 49ers-Los Angeles Rams soccer sport at the same time as images confirmed the governor, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and others with out face coverings, in obvious violation of a Los Angeles mandate that COVID masks be worn in massive public gatherings when persons are not consuming or consuming.
Hanging out at SoFi Stadium right this moment! pic.twitter.com/XfotiRLGz9
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 31, 2022
Throughout a go to Monday to transitional housing in Los Angeles County to speak concerning the state’s work to fight homelessness, Newsom mentioned he eliminated his masks for the picture.
“The remainder of the time, I wore it…I used to be making an attempt to be gracious and I made a mis- you recognize, I used to be making an attempt to be gracious,” Newsom mentioned, showing to start to say “mistake” earlier than pivoting.
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the place the sport occurred and the place the Tremendous Bowl shall be performed Feb. 13, requires masks “for all attendees” and states they will “solely be eliminated to actively eat or drink, after which they have to be instantly put again on.”
Los Angeles County, the place the sport occurred, additionally requires folks attending massive indoor and outside occasions to masks up, and California requires residents to put on masks in indoor public areas. Along with Newsom and Breed, the images additionally present Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti with out a masks masking his face.
There have been loads of different soccer followers and Hollywood celebrities additionally ditching masks. However the images, posted by former Los Angeles Lakers participant Magic Johnson, drew speedy hearth from conservative critics of Newsom and the Democratic mayors, who've touted masking as an necessary software for controlling the coronavirus pandemic.
Republican state Sen. Melissa Melendez tweeted, “Toddlers are being compelled to put on masks all day lengthy at school. Possibly at some point they’ll be governor or the mayor of LA they usually received’t have (to) comply with the principles they impose on others.”
Toddlers are being compelled to put on masks all day lengthy at school. Possibly at some point they’ll be governor or the mayor of LA they usually received’t have the comply with the principles they impose on others. pic.twitter.com/YGJDZeBxGA
— Senator Melissa Melendez (@senatormelendez) January 31, 2022
“The governor acknowledged that he took off his masks for a number of moments throughout Sunday’s sport,” Newsom’s spokesperson, Erin Mellon, mentioned in an announcement. “He continues to encourage all Californians to do their half to get via the pandemic and this newest surge, together with carrying a masks and getting vaccinated.”
Breed’s workplace didn't reply to a request for remark.
The images surfaced because the infectious omicron variant is constant to unfold broadly within the state.
It’s not the primary time Newsom and Breed have been accused of do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do habits. Breed was seen a number of months in the past with out a masks at a San Francisco nightclub, regardless of a metropolis mandate requiring them. And Newsom helped gas a recall try that he finally defeated when he was noticed with out a masks in 2020 at a cocktail party on the French Laundry in Napa whereas urging residents to remain house.
When the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams meet within the Tremendous Bowl, well being officers have mentioned everybody shall be given KN95 masks after they enter SoFi Stadium in an effort to offer everybody with a extremely protecting facial masking and forestall the unfold of COVID-19. Whether or not followers truly put on them stays to be seen.