Andrew Noymer, a UC Irvine professor of population health and disease prevention, said Tuesday that the slight increases were expected. "It's been two weeks since everything opened up ...," Noymer said. "There was always going to be a small increase when we lifted restrictions." Noymer is predicting more significant increases in the fall, when lower temperatures compel more indoor activity and students return to classes. Noymer was critical of Los Angeles County's recommendation that vaccinated residents return to masking up when indoors in public places. "The American public has no appetite for masking indefinitely," Noymer said. "That's just not going to fly. We need to keep our powder dry for the fall or winter and let people have the summer off, which is why I don't understand what LA County is doing. They're telegraphing that the vaccines don't work, which is wrong, they do work.