On Wednesday, August 11, 2021, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to require people to have at least one dose of the COVID-10 vaccine before being admitted to public spaces, including restaurants, entertainment venues and retail stores. 

The motion states: “the City Council instruct[s] the City Attorney to prepare and present an ordinance that would require eligible individuals to have received at least one dose of vaccination to enter indoor spaces, including but not limited to, restaurants, bars, retail establishments, fitness centers, spas and entertainment centers such as stadiums, concert venues and movie theaters.”

Many unanswered questions remain about how the ordinance will work, what enforcement mechanisms will be in place and what burden it will impose on businesses. 

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (the “Board”) is considering similar measures.  A motion to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine requirements for indoor public space was submitted by Supervisor Janice Hahn at the Board’s August 10, 2021 meeting. The Board voted 5-0 to pass the measure.

The motion directs the “Department of Public Health, in concert with the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs and County Counsel, to report back within 14 days on possible options for requiring vaccines in certain indoor public spaces in the County of Los Angeles. The report back should look at other jurisdictions that have adopted similar mandates (i.e. New York City, France, possibly City of Los Angeles), consider whether a mandate should require one dose or full vaccination, and whether the policy should apply to all indoor public spaces or certain non-essential businesses and events (i.e. should grocery stores be exempt).” 

Additionally, the motion requires the Department of Public Health to “report back to the Board in 14 days with the process for how people can prove their vaccination status and businesses can verify vaccination status using existing digital forms of records and/or paper records.”