Los Angeles passes “proof of vaccination” ordinance

On October 6 the Los Angeles City Council approved and Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an ordinance requiring proof of COVID vaccination to enter indoor spaces such as shopping centers, restaurants, movie theaters, hair and nail salons, gyms and other businesses. 

The ordinance, scheduled to go into effect on November 4, does not apply to pharmacies or grocery stores, and exceptions to the mandate rule will be made for those with medical conditions and religious objections. San Francisco and New York City have similar rules requiring proof of vaccination to enter certain indoor establishments.

The ordinance includes the following types of locations:

1. Establishments where food or beverages are served, including, but not limited to, restaurants, bars, fast food establishments, coffee shops, tasting rooms, cafeterias, food courts, breweries, wineries, distilleries, banquet halls, and hotel ballrooms;
2. Gyms and fitness venues, including, but not limited to: gyms, recreation facilities, fitness centers, yoga, Pilates, cycling, barre, and dance studios, hotel gyms, boxing and kickboxing gyms, fitness boot camps, and other facilities used for conducting indoor group fitness classes;
3. Entertainment and recreation venues, including, but not limited to, movie theaters, music and concert venues, live performance venues, adult entertainment venues, commercial event and party venues, sports arenas, convention centers, exhibition halls, museums, malls, shopping centers, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, card rooms, family entertainment centers, play areas, pool and billiard halls, and other recreational game centers;
4. Personal care establishments, including spas, nail salons, hair salons, barbershops, tanning salons, estheticians, skin care and cosmetology services, body art professionals, piercing shops, and massage therapy, except as medically required.

Implementation of the of the new ordinance is scheduled as follows:

• October 21 – A “covered location” shall prominently display on its premises an advisory notice to patrons that starting November 4, 2021 proof of vaccination is required to enter any indoor portion of a covered location.
• November 4 – A “covered location” shall require proof of vaccination upon the patron’s first in-person interaction with staff.  A “covered location” is required to cross-check proof of vaccination for each patron who appears to be 18 years or older against photo ID. A patron who does not provide Proof of Vaccination may be allowed to enter an indoor portion of a covered location for brief and limited periods of time provided a mask is worn. 
• November 29 – Enforcement in the form of a warning, followed by escalating fines ($1,000, $2,000, $5,000) on an operator of a “covered location” who does not comply.

For more information contact Jim Hill, Vice President of State & Local Government Relations at jhill@icsc.com.