LA County Approves Plan To Consider Requiring Vaccine Proof In Some Indoor Venues
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to consider requiring proof of vaccination against the coronavirus to enter some indoor public spaces.
The motion proposed by Supervisor Janice Hahn, calls on L.A. County staff and attorneys to report back in two weeks about what such a policy could look like -- for instance, whether it should apply to all indoor public spaces and events or certain nonessential ones only, and whether it should require full or partial immunization.
The motion would only apply to unincorporated parts of the county, not the city of L.A., for example.
There's also a question of whether paper or digital records could be used to verify a person's vaccination status.
"Nearly 4 million people in L.A. County are still unvaccinated and COVID-19 continues to spread more easily in indoor spaces, crowds and other settings where unvaccinated people are in close contact," Hahn wrote in her motion.
"To prevent future surges and new variants from circulating, especially as we approach fall and winter, we must consider whether additional measures are necessary, such as vaccine requirements for certain settings."
Jose Lucatero, the owner of Margarita's Mexican Grill, supports a county health order that would require proof of vaccination at the door. He has employees and customers who don't want the shot.
Hahn's proposal comes on the heels of a similar motion being considered by the L.A. City Council. The city motion would require at least one dose of the vaccine to enter indoor public spaces, including restaurants, gyms, concert venues, movie theaters and retail establishments.
Last week, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis signed an executive order requiring all Los Angeles County employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
This comes as L.A. County has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks due to the highly contagious Delta variant. The vast majority of those being hospitalized are unvaccinated residents. From May 1 to July 17, unvaccinated people were nearly four times more likely to be infected with COVID than were vaccinated residents, L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer says. Of the 3,158 people who were hospitalized in the county during that time period, 8% were fully vaccinated.
Ferrer noted Monday that the county has now seen three consecutive weeks of increases in the number of people receiving a first dose of vaccine, following months of declines.
That increase in vaccinations could be due, in part, to the state of California recently requiring all state workers to be vaccinated or regularly tested. The state is also mandating vaccinations for all health care workers.
Some cities, universities and private institutions also have recently mandated vaccines or regular testing for employees and students. L.A. County Superior Court also announced last week that all employees must be fully vaccinated or risk being fired.
Hahn's motion notes that New York City has already implemented a vaccine mandate to enter certain indoor businesses, including restaurants, entertainment venues and gyms.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
