Los Angeles May Require Vaccines To Enter Businesses Soon - Forbes

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Topline

The Los Angeles City Council passed a motion Wednesday that would allow the city to begin drafting plans to require people to show they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter businesses, following New York City’s lead, in an effort to curb growing coronavirus cases due to the delta variant.

Key Facts

The Los Angeles City Council passed the motion unanimously, and a draft of the ordinance detailing the rules and which businesses this would apply to will need to be submitted for approval by the city council and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Under the proposal, people in Los Angeles that are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine will need to show proof they have gotten at least one shot to enter restaurants, bars, retail stores, fitness centers, spas, movie theaters and entertainment venues, according to the City Council’s press release.

If they are unable to provide proof, they would not be able to enter one of those businesses.

New York City also announced last week it would require people to show proof of vaccination through its Excelsior Pass to enter restaurants, gyms and performance venues.

Starting Thursday, Philadelphia will allow businesses to require people either wear a mask or show proof of vaccination.

Crucial Quote

“It’s our responsibility to protect the public, that includes protecting them from the unvaccinated,” said Nury Martinez, Los Angeles Council President. “The decision to not get vaccinated doesn’t just affect you. We have kids under the age of 12 who are not eligible for the vaccine yet, and someone’s decision to not get vaccinated affects them as well.”

Key Background

Los Angeles reinstated an indoor mask mandate last month to combat rising Covid-19 cases in the area. Los Angeles County reported over 2,600 new cases of Covid-19 on Aug.10 which rose from about 1,400 cases a week prior, according to the state’s Covid-19 tracker. The Los Angeles City Council noted that the Department of Public Health has seen an increase in the number of people hospitalized with Covid-19, “nearly doubling each day” for the past two weeks.