Wearing a face mask at an indoor public establishments will once again be mandatory in Los Angeles starting this weekend due to a steady increase in Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations, health authorities said.

Los Angeles is the first large US metropolis to reimpose the use of face masks — regardless of vaccination status — in shops, grocery stores, restaurants and workplaces to help contain the pandemic.

The new masking order goes into effect midnight on Saturday in the county of Los Angeles, AFP reported.

Los Angeles is “not where we need to be” in terms of numbers of vaccinated people, said county health officer Muntu Davis.