The Board of Supervisors this week voted unanimously to instruct county public health experts, county counsel, and the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, to examine the possibility of a policy requiring proof of vaccination for certain indoor public spaces and report back to the board in two weeks with an assessment and potential policy options.
“The latest nationwide surge of COVID cases is being driven by and large by the unvaccinated,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “To prevent future surges and new and more dangerous variants from circulating, especially as we approach fall and winter, we need to at least consider the possibility of requiring proof of vaccination for certain indoor public settings.”
The motion, authored by Hahn, 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.
“I want to avoid a situation where we are forced to shut down businesses and limit capacity,” Hahn said. “That was devastating to our businesses and our local workers. We need to look at every tool at our disposal to protect our residents and our economy.”
The report back will assess policies adopted by other jurisdictions, consider whether a possible policy should require proof of one dose or full vaccination, as well as whether the policy should apply to all indoor public spaces or just to certain non-essential businesses and events.
“Everyone who is eligible has the responsibility to get vaccinated,” Hahn added. “The vaccines are our best tool to get out of this pandemic and they provide a layer of protection for not only the vaccinated person, but for everyone around them.”
The Board also asked for a report back from the Department of Public Health in 14 days on the process for how people can prove their vaccination status and how businesses can verify vaccination status using existing digital forms of records or paper records.
