Los Angeles County to Require Proof of Vaccination at Bars and Major Events

Los Angeles County will require customers and employees of indoor bars and nightclubs to be vaccinated against Covid-19 starting next month, health officials said on Wednesday.

Rules for the most populous county in the country will begin on October 7, the county health department said about the order to be issued this week.

Customers and employees of bars, wineries, breweries, nightclubs and lounges will need to have at least one dose of vaccine by October 7 and both doses by November 4. This does not apply to indoor restaurants but is recommended.

At outdoor events of more than 10,000 people, attendees will need to check for vaccination or a recent negative Covid-19 test, the department said.

“This is a reasonable path forward that can position us to better break the cycle of flare-ups,” Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.

There have been more than 13 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 24,300 deaths in Los Angeles County since the start of the pandemic, according to the health department.

The move also comes after President Joe Biden last week called on major venues like sports arenas and concerts to require vaccinations or a negative test.

New York City in August became the first major city in the country to require proof of vaccination or negative tests in indoor spaces like restaurants, arenas and theaters.

Officials in the California and Los Angeles area have already made vaccines mandatory in some cases.

The state has demanded that state officials, health workers and teachers and staff in public schools be vaccinated or regularly tested for Covid-19.

Los Angeles City Council last month approved requirements for employees to be vaccinated. Some Los Angeles police officers have taken legal action to challenge the rule.

Last week, the Los Angeles Public School District School Board passed rules requiring all students 12 years of age or older to be vaccinated.

Anger over the Covid-19 restrictions partly helped fuel an effort to recall Governor Gavin Newsom, who was defeated by voters on Tuesday.

Newsom, a Democrat, said on Wednesday that the state would not pass a rule like the LA County rule, but officials would follow science and changing conditions.

“At the moment, we are in a place where we are happy with the current state of the state,” Newsom told reporters.

In Los Angeles County, about 67% of people 12 and older have been fully immunized, according to the county health department. Nationally, the rate for this group is about 63 percent.