Is it safe to fly now? SoCal doctor lists extra precautions to take before and after boarding flight amid COVID-19 crisis

From the new California mask mandate to what you need to know before getting on a plane this season -- Dr. Anthony Cardillo, CEO of Mend Urgent Care and ER specialist, joined ABC7 via Skype to discuss the latest on the coronavirus pandemic.

The new California mask mandate

"It's certainly needed. And whether it's enough, that's only timing will tell. The reality is this is a big move by the California Department of Public Health. And the mandate is just that - everyone needs to be wearing a mask and now everyone has to be wearing a mask. There are some carve out however. There are some people that will be able to not have to wear a mask. The mentally ill, young children under age 2," said Cardillo. "Now if you think about it, if we don't do something like this, the 2 1/2 months that we were on lock down was really going to be a waste and all that economic distraction that happened in those two months would've been for nothing. So, I think it's a smart move. We are entering out into the workplace now and things are opening up a lot as we all see. We have to have this calculated maneuvering, otherwise we're going to be in bad shape."

The British government is taking a closer look at the role of vitamin D in protecting people against coronavirus. Can you weigh in?

"They're following a research article that came out in China actually, and they looked back in retrospective analysis about 2,000 cases of people that were hospitalized and had poor outcomes and they found a really stark discovery - that people that had low vitamin D levels were more likely to either die from COVID-19 or have a prolonged hospitalization," said Cardillo. "So now the English government is saying perhaps we should all be supplementing with vitamin D to prevent that from happening. I think it's a wise thing."

ASK THE DOCTOR : Rebecca from Fontana asks, "How safe is it to fly now? I am considering flying to help care for a relative who is a terminal cancer patient."

"You can fly, but you need to be really careful and mindful. Now the airlines are taking great lengths to make sure the airplanes are safe. But I would go through extra precautions. Make sure - gloves, face mask, maybe even eye shields, okay? If you can get your hands on N95 masks that may be more helpful for you, and certainly cleaning down your entire area that you're sitting at. Bring some wipes onto the plane with you, hand sanitizer. And once you get off the plane it's wise to go to the closest bathroom, change your clothes, wash your face, wash your nostrils out and then, put the mask and the gloves back on," said Cardillo.

Watch the full interview in video above.

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