BREAKING: LA County To Require COVID Vaccines For Bars, Restaurants And Outdoor Events

A new health order will require Los Angeles County residents to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry to indoor bars, restaurants, lounges and nightclubs. Proof of vaccination will also be required for large outdoor events, such as Rams and Dodgers games. The mandate will apply to both staff and patrons.

LA County residents will need to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by October 7 and be fully vaccinated by November 4. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer announced the mandate during Wednesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. “This is a reasonable path forward that will position us to to be better able to break the cycle of surges,” said Ferrer. (READ MORE: Researchers Say ‘Roughly Half’ Of Reported COVID Patients Were Admitted To Hospitals For ‘Another Reason’)

Under the new mandate, participants and workers at “outdoor mega events” with more than 10,000 people will be required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test. That requirement is already in place for indoor events where at least 1,000 people are present. The county will also continue to require masking for indoor public settings.

Enforcement of the order remains unclear, as earlier this year the Los Angeles sheriff said he would not enforce the county’s indoor mask mandate, much to the chagrin of Democrats who believe government-imposed restrictions are the only path to overcoming COVID-19. (READ MORE: American Airlines Turns Plane Around, Kicks Two-Year-Old Off Flight For Not Wearing Mask During Asthma Attack)

Los Angeles follows New York City in implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, with New York announcing similar measures on August 3. On a federal level, Joe Biden recently announced that companies with more than 100 employees will be ordered to require COVID-19 vaccination or face heavy fines. The president stated that getting vaccinated is “not about freedom or personal choice.”