On Wednesday, August 11th Los Angeles cracked down on citizens have proof of vaccination before they can do any indoor activities such as going to restaurants, the gym, retail stores, bars, movie theaters and concert venues. The City Council vote was unanimous and has more requirements than the one from New York.

The motion being passed gives the council a way to gather information on how things are going with people getting vaccinated and how much effort they need to put in to protect the children.

Other efforts have been put into place to require vaccination proof at concerts, which will now be mandatory for attendees of events like the upcoming Life is Beautiful festival in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles City councilmembers share their thoughts on the new motion:

“Instead of fighting science, we should be fighting the virus,” said Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, co-author of the proposal. “The data is clear: vaccines are safe and effective. We have endured 18 months of mass illness and death, with the latest variant wreaking havoc across the globe. Free vaccinations are widely available for all who are eligible. This is a necessary and sensible step that will broadly protect the health and safety of Angelenos. It could very well ward off another economic shutdown, which would be devastating to our city and our nation.”

Councilmember Paul Koretz said, “Frankly, I’m tired of our politicization science and public health. And while people outside this building are protesting that this is a violation of their civil liberties, Angelenos are dying unnecessarily.”

“Not being vaccinated leads to death. It leads to a prolonged pandemic. It has an impact on others. It is not a personal choice. It is a public health issue,” insisted Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat