This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

The number of coronavirus-positive patients hospitalized in Los Angeles County has dropped below 2,500, putting the region on track to potentially relax some outdoor masking rules next week.

Should COVID-19 hospitalizations remain under this threshold for seven consecutive days, county health officials will lift face covering requirements at outdoor “mega-events” — including those at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Dodger Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — and outdoor spaces at K-12 schools and child care settings.

That countdown officially began Wednesday, according to state data released Thursday.

While past is not always prologue, it seems likely L.A. County will be able to lift those select rules in a week’s time, based on recent trends. In any case, the requirement will still be in force for Sunday’s Super Bowl at SoFi.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.