LA County to Require COVID-19 Vaccine Proof at Bars, Nightclubs

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced on Wednesday (Sept. 15) that a forthcoming order will require patrons and employees of indoor bars, nightclubs, lounges, wineries and breweries countywide to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering.

Under the order, which the public health department will move forward with later this week, both patrons and employees will be required to have at least one vaccine dose by Oct. 7 and be fully vaccinated by Nov. 4. Beginning Oct. 7, the order will also mandate that all attendees and workers at outdoor “mega-events” of 10,000 people or more show either proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results received within 72 hours. That’s an extension of a previous order that required indoor events of more than 1,000 attendees to require proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter.

The order will also “recommend,” but not require, proof of vaccination at indoor areas of restaurants.

“We in public health believe that targeted vaccination mandates are an important strategy for quickly raising vaccination coverage in our county and ending the pandemic and we applaud the president, our governor, our Board of Supervisors, our cities and school districts, and business establishments across the county for creating additional safety at spaces where people are intermingling with targeted vaccination mandates,” said the L.A. County Department of Public Health in a statement.  The statement adds that the department will prepare tool kits that businesses can use to confirm vaccinations while providing “education and support” to establishments that request assistance.

The city of West Hollywood, which is home to a significant number of popular nightspots in the county, previously announced a separate vaccine mandate that’s slated to go into effect on Oct. 11. The L.A. County Department of Public Health does not have jurisdiction over Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own public health departments.

In implementing the upcoming public health order, Los Angeles will follow the lead of other major urban centers in the U.S. In New York City, Mayor Bill De Blasio signed an executive order in August requiring a vaccine mandate for most indoor public spaces, including bars and nightclubs. San Francisco also imposed a similar order that went into effect on Aug. 20.