L.A. Considers Vaccine Requirements to Enter Fitness Facilities and More

L.A. City Council is considering to require proof of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter places like fitness centers, restaurants and more.

On August 4, a proposal was introduced to the Los Angeles City Council to require people to show proof they have gotten at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter places like restaurants, fitness centers and retail stores.

If passed, L.A. would be the second major American city to have this requirement due to the rising numbers of the delta variant of COVID-19. On August 3, New York City was the first city to require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees and visitors to enter restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues, although the city will not enforce the mandate until mid-September.

L.A.’s proposal is like the New York policy, but would be more restrictive since it would include retail businesses as well. According to KABC, it is unclear if grocery stores will be included.

“Enough is enough already,” said Nury Martinez, the L.A. City Council president, in a statement to local L.A. news outlets. “Hospital workers are exhausted, moms who have put aside their careers are tired, and our kids cannot afford the loss of another school year. We have three vaccines that work and are readily available, so what’s it going to take?”

L.A. reinstated an indoor mask mandate in July to combat rising COVID-19 cases in the area. According to Forbes, L.A. county reported over 2,800 new cases of COVID-19 on July 30 which rose from about 2,100 cases a week prior, according to the state’s COVID-19 tracker. However, hospitalizations have also continued to rise in the county, with over 1,200 people hospitalized on Aug. 1.

If the motion passes, a draft of the ordinance would still need to be approved by the L.A. City Council and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Do you have thoughts on city-wide vaccine requirements? If so, we’d love to hear them. Email taylor@peakemedia.com with your comments.