Surgeon General backs localized mask mandates, former S.G. urges vaccinated people to wear masks.

Surgeon General backs localized mask mandates U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said he supports county governments reinstating mask mandates as a way to combat the spread of the coronavirus among unvaccinated people. Nathaniel Weixel TheHill

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said he supports county governments reinstating mask mandates as a way to combat the spread of the coronavirus among unvaccinated people.

During a Sunday interview on ABC News's "This Week," Murthy said local governments have flexibility to make their own decisions regarding masks and other measures. 

Current CDC guidelines don't put limits on counties making their own rules, Murthy said. For instance, last week Los Angeles County health officials responded to an uptick in cases by reimposing an indoor mask mandate on everyone, regardless of vaccination status.

"It's very reasonable for counties to take more mitigation measures, like the mask rules that you see coming out in LA. And I anticipate that will happen in other parts of the country, too," Murthy said.

"Counties certainly have the right to put mitigation measures back in place, and that's not contradictory to the guidance the CDC has issued," Murthy added.

Public health experts largely agreed that L.A.'s decision to reimpose an indoor mask mandate was a wise decision but said it wouldn't make much difference without wider implementation in the areas of the country with extremely low vaccination rates.

There's not much political will to reimpose mask mandates in the areas that need it the most. ...

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