LOS ANGELES: The strictest Covid-19 vaccine mandate in the US took effect in Los Angeles city, requiring proof of full inoculation to enter certain indoor public locations, large events, and city buildings.
Starting from Monday, Los Angeles has started requiring proof of full Covid-19 vaccination to enter the indoor portions of food establishments, including restaurants, bars, coffee shops, brewery, winery, food courts, hotel ballrooms, shopping centres, movie theatres, music and concert venues, museums, spas, nail salons, hair salons, gyms and fitness venues, as well as certain city facilities and other locations, reports Xinhua news agency.
Outdoor events with over 5,000 attendees are also included. For these events, attendees are permitted to show a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of entry in lieu of proof of vaccination.
The sweeping measure was approved by the City Council and signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti last month. Officials said that enforcement of the ordinance will begin November 29.
An operator of a covered location or outdoor large event may be issued a citation for violation and shall be subject to administrative fines starting at $1,000 and topping out at $5,000 for a fourth and each subsequent violation.
The Los Angeles Times reported that “the requirement is significantly broader than the rules that have been in place in wider LA County for the past month”.
City officials noted in the ordinance that “the Covid-19 pandemic remains a significant challenge in the City of Los Angeles, particularly in light of the highly contagious Delta variant”.
“If there is not a significant increase in vaccination coverage, local health experts warn that there will be a cycle of repeated surges every few months. The City has an interest in increasing vaccination rates which, in turn, will help stem the spread of Covid-19 and protect its residents against a disease that threatens the health, safety, and wellbeing of everyone,” explained officials.
The city is the seat of Los Angeles County, which is the nation’s most populous county with over 10 million residents. Once the country’s pandemic epicentre, the county’s case rates have dropped dramatically since late August. But local public health officials noted earlier this month that transmission is still “substantial” in the county.
Mayor Garcetti confirmed last week that he had tested positive for Covid-19 while in Glasgow, Scotland, during the UN climate conference.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, 80 per cent of residents 12 and older have received at least one vaccine dose. Since the onset of the pandemic early last year, Los Angeles County has registered a total of 1,502,676 Covid cases and 26,750 deaths.
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