City Of LA's Strict COVID Vaccine Proof Mandate For Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Gyms Takes Effect
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Under one of the most sweeping new laws in the nation, beginning Monday, anyone who visits the indoor portion of a long list of establishments – including restaurants, coffee shops, gyms, bars and salons – in the city of Los Angeles, will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.
Although the SafePassLA ordinance takes effect Monday, it won't be fully enforced until Nov. 29.
Under the ordinance, which was approved by the L.A. City Council in early October, patrons age 12 and older will have to show either:
- A physical vaccination card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- A photocopy of a vaccination card or a photograph stored on their phone,
- A digital vaccination record issued by the state of California or a state, local or foreign jurisdiction, or an approved private company.
- Documentation of a COVID-19 vaccine from a healthcare provider.
Anyone age 18 and over will also have to provide identification.
The ordinance also requires people to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend outdoor events with 5,000 or more people.
The ordinance will apply to:
- Restaurants, bars, fast food establishments, coffee shops, tasting rooms, cafeterias, food courts, breweries, wineries, distilleries banquet halls and hotel ballrooms.
- Gyms and fitness venues, including recreation facilities, fitness studios (including for yoga, pilates, dance, and barre), boxing gyms, fitness boot camps and facilities that hold indoor group fitness classes.
- Entertainment and recreation venues including movie theaters, shopping centers, concert venues, performance venues, adult entertainment venues, commercial event and party venues, sports arenas, convention centers, exhibition halls, museums, malls, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, card rooms, family entertainment centers, pool and billiard halls, play areas and game centers.
- Personal care establishments, including spas, nail salons, hair salons, barbershops, tanning salons, estheticians, skin care, tattoo shops, piercing shops and massage therapy locations, unless medically required.
When enforcement of the new law begins Nov. 29, businesses who violating it will be issued a $1,000 fine for a second violation, $2,000 fine for a third violation and a $5,000 fine for a fourth and subsequent violations.
RELATED: City Of LA Residents React To Vaccine Mandate
A 24 Hour Fitness in Woodland Hills started asking for vaccine cards several days before the mandate actually took effect.
"Absolutely, yeah, getting them prepared, so when they come in, it's seamless," Wendy Wooten, 24 Hour Fitness general manager, told CBSLA Monday. "And they can just continue on with their fitness journey when they come in."
Wooten said members will only need to provide proof once. After that, it will be recorded in 24 Hour's online system.
"They just show it the one time. We have a verification process on our system. So than they can go to either another club, and it will show that we've verified their vaccination."
RELATED: LA County Health Director Presents Criteria For Lifting COVID Mask Mandates
People can be exempted from the mandate if they have medical conditions that restrict their ability to get vaccinated or a "sincerely held religious belief," according to the ordinance. Those exemptions will have to be reviewed by the location the person is trying to enter.
People who are exempt will be able to use outdoor areas of the location, but if unavailable, they may be allowed to enter the indoor area by providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was conduced within 72 hours.
According to the latest numbers, 80% of eligible Los Angeles County residents have received age 12 and over have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 72% fully vaccinated.
Children age 5-11 became eligible for shots last week, a group that includes about 900,000 in L.A. County.
For more information on SafePassLA, click here.
