Los Angeles City Council will vote on the COVID indoor vaccine mandate on Wednesday, October 6th
“We’ve spent too much time putting restrictions on people who have done their part to get vaccinated and wear their masks. We must both limit the transmission of the virus and make unvaccinated access to indoor venues difficult and “put human lives at risk. The stakes are too high, ” said Council President Nury Martinez.
Like so many Angelenos, I looked forward to a return to normal when the first round of vaccination was offered in mid-December. But now it’s nearly 10 months later and still only 68% of LA County’s residents are fully vaccinated.
And let’s be clear: the vaccine works.
– Nury Martinez (@ CD6Nury) September 29, 2021
There are people who have been vaccinated for almost a year. Her theories of QAnon Trump have all been refuted. At this point, anti-vaxxers are not only wrong – they are selfish.
We’ve spent too much time imposing restrictions on the people who did their part.
– Nury Martinez (@ CD6Nury) September 29, 2021
It only takes eight votes for the regulation to pass, or twelve votes for an urgency clause to go into effect immediately, rather than a month after publication.
Since the 13-0 vote on August 11 for the city’s prosecutor to prepare the ordinance, a majority of council members have voted in favor of the measure, which would require proof of vaccination before entering many indoor public spaces.
If passed, warning notices would have to be placed in indoor public spaces covered by the regulation from October 21st, which would make customers aware of the mandatory vaccination, which would come into force on November 4th.
The regulation would apply to food and drink facilities, gyms and fitness facilities, entertainment and recreation facilities – including cinemas, shopping malls and personal care facilities.
Retail establishments, including grocery stores and pharmacies, are not included in the draft regulation.
ALSO READ | California requires eligible students in public, private schools to be vaccinated against COVID-19
The Chief Legislative Analyst told council members on Sept. 29 that the city has not yet chosen a department to enforce the ordinance, but has identified the Department of Construction and Security as the most relevant.
But this department doesn’t have the staff to enforce the law.
Compliance enforcement would begin Nov. 29, and companies violating the regulation would be fined $ 1,000 for the second violation, a fine of $ 2,000 for a third violation, and a fine of $ 5,000 for a fourth violation obtain.
Councilor Joe Buscaino said he would not support the ordinance on Sept. 29 and said there was no enforcement action.
He invoked a rule of the city council to refuse unanimous approval, effectively preventing the council from voting on the regulation at first reading.
Regulations that are not adopted unanimously in first reading must return to the second vote.
Councilors Bob Blumenfield, Mike Bonin and Paul Krekorian expressed concern about details in the ordinance, including a lack of enforcement, but noted that the requirement will go into effect quickly and the details can be finalized later.
“With all these concerns, we can’t wait a day longer. We need to enact an ordinance that protects people from their fellow citizens who choose not to be vaccinated,” said Krekorian.
Individuals would be exempt from the mandate if they have medical conditions that limit their ability to vaccinate, or if they have “sincere religious beliefs” verified by the location the person is trying to enter.
People who are exempt could use the outdoor areas of the site, but if they are not available they can enter the indoor area by demonstrating a negative COVID-19 test.
The ordinance would also require people to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend outdoor events with 5,000 or more people, which would be stricter than LA County’s requirement for outdoor events with 10,000 or more applies to more people.
The ordinance would be similar to policy in West Hollywood, New York, and San Francisco. West Hollywood’s policy of requiring adult customers entering many indoor stores to provide proof of at least partial vaccination goes into effect October 7th, with full vaccination required starting November 4th.
Los Angeles County’s compulsory vaccination applies only to employees and guests of indoor areas of bars, breweries, wineries, and distilleries.
This rule also requires at least partial vaccination from October 7th with a full vaccination by November 4th.
While Los Angeles County continues to see declining numbers of COVID-19 hospital admissions and other metrics, the pace of resident vaccinations remains relatively stagnant, and Ferrer has warned that the pandemic will only end if that pace accelerates.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fully vaccinated people can still become infected with COVID-19 and spread it to others, even though they are far less likely to develop symptoms, be hospitalized, or die of the virus.
There is evidence that fully vaccinated people are likely to spread the more contagious Delta variant of the virus less than unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.
Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc.
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