Public Health to Modify Health Officer Order Adding Vaccination Verification Requirements at Select High-Risk Settings

37 New Deaths and 1,930 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

With the urgent need to reduce transmission risk and increase vaccination coverage in L.A. County, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) will begin requiring verification of vaccination in select high-risk settings by October 7, 2021.

Public Health will issue a modified Health Officer Order later this week that would align with President Biden and require vaccination verification or a negative test within 72 hours prior to attending outdoor mega events. Attendees at indoor mega events are already required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result prior to entry.

Many mega event venues already established verification systems during the spring in response to previous capacity restrictions, and Public Health is prepared to offer all large venues and organizers of mega events technical assistance to assist with implementation.

Vaccine verification will also be required for customers and employees at indoor portions of bars, wineries, breweries, night clubs, and lounges.  These establishments are primarily attended by adults and already require patrons to show identification.  Public Health will prepare a toolkit to assist businesses in confirming vaccinations and will provide education and support to those establishments requesting assistance.  While not required, vaccine verification at indoor portions of restaurants are also recommended.

The modified Health Officer Order would require customers and employees at bars, breweries, wineries, night clubs and lounges to have at least one dose of the vaccine by October 7 and both doses by November 4.

Today, Public Health confirms 37 new deaths and 1,930 new cases of COVID-19.  Of the 37 new deaths reported today, 15 people who passed away were over the age of 80, six people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, 10 people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and six people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health identified 1,437,073 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,748 deaths.

There are 1,214 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 30% of these people are in the ICU. This is a decrease of 219 daily hospitalizations over the past week. Testing results are available for nearly 8,400,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.5%.

“I extend my deepest condolences to those who are grieving the loss of a friend, neighbor, coworker, or loved one at this time. Our hearts and thoughts remain with you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “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 our President, our Governor, our Board of Supervisors, our cities and school districts, and business establishments across the county for creating additional safety in spaces where people are intermingling with the use of targeted vaccination mandates. As evidence mounts affirming the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccination mandates are an increasingly important tool to prevent future COVID surges that cause widespread suffering. The modified Health Officer Order aligns with the continued need to reduce risk for transmission and increase vaccination coverage; this is a reasonable path forward that can position us to be better able to break the cycle of surges.”

The County’s Community Health Worker Outreach Initiative has onboarded a total of 467 community health workers who have reached nearly 1.3 million people between May and September of this year, providing information in multiple languages on available vaccination services, scheduling vaccine appointments, distributing more than 750,000 masks, door knocking, and participating in educational sessions with residents.

This week, there are 1,363 sites offering vaccinations including pharmacies, clinics, community sites, and hospitals and 413 sites where mobile teams are offering vaccinations, which are concentrated in higher-need areas. Public Health continues to prioritize using mobile teams to reach those not yet vaccinated and those needing their third dose that are most vulnerable, focused on residents that are homebound and those in nursing homes.

Public Health encourages everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated against COVID-19. Many vaccination sites across the county, including all the County-run sites, are also offering third doses of vaccine to eligible immunocompromised people. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more. If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

COVID-19 Sector Protocols, Best Practices, COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Recovery Dashboard, and additional actions you can take to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.

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