LA City Council Moves Step Closer To Requiring Vaccine Proof For Entry To Indoor Spaces
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday unanimously approved moving forward with a proposal that would require people to have at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine in order to enter most indoor public spaces, such as restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues and even some retailers.
By a 13-0 vote, the council called on the office of L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer to craft the ordinance that will return to the council for another vote.
Council President Nury Martinez followed the vote up with a stern message for unvaccinated Angelenos.
"You not being vaccinated actually impacts the health of everyone else. So, that argument that you have the right to not access the vaccine or not get vaccinated just doesn't work anymore," Martinez said.
The proposal will be similar to one announced last month by New York City officials.
The New York policy restricts access only to more entertainment-oriented venues such as restaurants, fitness centers and theaters. The L.A. motion may go a step further and include certain retail establishments, however. The exact businesses that would fall under the restrictions would be determined during the drafting of the ordinance.
"COVID-19 could be eradicated if we had mass vaccinations across the country and across the world," Councilman Mitch O'Farrell said during the meeting, before noting the United States' history eradicating smallpox and mostly eradicating polio through vaccinations.
"This is not a vaccine mandate...we're not going to deny anyone the ability to access essentials, food, medicine, etc., regardless of vaccination...but what is immoral is choosing not to get vaccinated, choosing to listen to some delusional rant on Twitter," he added.
"We can't afford another shutdown of this economy because a handful of individuals refuse to get vaccinated," Councilman Kevin de León said.
Feuer on Tuesday expressed his support for such a vaccine mandate.
"What I call optional locations, locations that are not necessary, but nonetheless are popular: restaurants, bars, gyms, performance venues like theaters and other major events," Feuer said in a news conference. "I should be very clear: No shots, no admission."
Marysol Rangel, the owner Sol Beauty Salon in Studio City, said Wednesday she's seen a dip in business since the Delta variant took hold, and she's worried that requiring proof of vaccination might mean her business takes another hit.
"It's going to be very difficult because I have clients who don't want to get the vaccine," she said.
Dish Thai Fusion Cuisine owner Pongtang Puangchai said the current labor shortage has forced him to take on the tasks of cooking, dishwashing and delivery. He said he can't take on the responsibility of being the vaccination bouncer as well.
"For me, it's more important people wearing a mask," Puangchai said. "For me, it's more important than a vaccine card. No one knows if it's a real card or a fake card."
At Ernie's restaurant in North Hollywood, general manager Nelson Estuardo expressed optimism about the city's step forward.
"It could be a good idea because...it makes us feel more comfortable for our staff and even for our customers," Estuardo said.
At Nomad's Gym in Toluca Lake, owner Hunter Seide said he likes the ordinance in principle.
"I think at the heart of it is something wonderful and positive," Seide said, but added he still has concerns.
"As a business owner, it's not my job to enforce government policy, especially when doing so could potentially amount to me refusing business during what's already been a very, very difficult time financially," Seide said.
L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that business owners don't need to wait for the government to put out an order if they don't want to.
"As an employer, you have the right to request proof of vaccination for all your employees," Ferrer said. "I know people get confused, can they even ask for that? Yes, you can. And as a business, you can also set thresholds, who can come into your business."
City council members reiterated that the proposal is not termed as a vaccine mandate, but a way to encourage those who are not vaccinated to do so. Any proposed law will also likely carry medical and religious exemptions. So far, there is no established timetable for when the ordinance could be officially approved and implemented.
On Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan to consider requiring proof of vaccination to enter some indoor public spaces. The motion would only apply to unincorporated parts of the county, not the city of L.A. County staff and attorneys now have two weeks to detail what such a policy could look like.
Last week, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis signed an executive order requiring all Los Angeles County employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. L.A. County Superior Court also announced that all employees must be fully vaccinated or risk being fired.
The state of California recently issued a mandate that all state workers be vaccinated or regularly tested. The state is also mandating vaccinations for all health care workers by Sept. 30. The order leaves room for workers to opt out due to medical or religious reasons.
Also Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that all teachers and school staff in California will have to be either vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo regular testing.
This comes as L.A. County has seen a surge in the coronavirus brought on by the highly contagious Delta variant.
As of Aug. 3, of more than 5 million fully vaccinated county residents, 15,628 tested positive, for a rate of 0.31%, according to County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. There were 446 fully vaccinated people who have been hospitalized, a rate of 0.009%, and 41 died, a rate of 0.0008%.
L.A. County reported another 3,498 COVID-19 infections on Wednesday and 28 deaths.
The number of people hospitalized in L.A. County due to COVID-19 was at 1,573 Wednesday. Ferrer said the hospital patients are overwhelmingly unvaccinated, at about 90%. Between April and July, 96% of the people who died from the virus were unvaccinated, she said.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)