You'll Soon Have to Offer Proof of Vaccination at LA County Bars and Clubs

L.A. County will require people entering 21-and-up venues and "mega events" to have proof of the coronavirus vaccine. As positive tests inch slowly upward in the county, the move is an attempt to prevent a surge.

Under the rules every single employee and patron at bars, clubs and wineries will need to have at least one shot by Oct. 7 and two shots (if applicable) by Nov. 4.

Mega events, classified as indoor events with more than 1,000 people and outdoor events with more than 10,000 people, will also have to comply, meaning most stadiums, concert venues and theme parks will be impacted.

"As evidence mounts that affirms the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines, it's a critical part of our policy strategies to prevent future surges of COVID from causing the kind of widespread suffering we have endured for the past year and a half," L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer told the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.

Patrons can show proof of vaccination using their CDC-issued card or other forms of digital vaccination endorsed by the city and state.

The new vaccine mandate is an update of the County Department of Public Health's previous order established by the county. Ferrer said the county is helping local establishments gear up for the Oct. 7 with a toolkit that will help businesses keep up with the mandate, though she did not elaborate on what that toolkit would entail.

California and Los Angeles have traditionally been on the forefront of stricter vaccine mandates. When President Biden announced sweeping coronavirus vaccine rules for employers last week, they were on-par with many rules L.A. employers placed on their workers already.

L.A. County's hospitalization rates for COVID patients are in decline, but the county has reported over a thousand new cases as of yesterday.