LA County mask mandate for 'mega events' like concerts, sports games takes effect

The Los Angeles County Health Officer Order will be modified today to require vaccination verification or a negative test prior to entry to all mega events and event venues by October 7; children under 12 years of age are exempt. The Health Officer Order will also require vaccination verification for customers and employees at indoor portions of bars, lounges, nightclubs, breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

The requirement for vaccine verification or a negative test within 72 hours prior to attending an outdoor mega event aligns with the recently announced national strategy and includes venues and events with more than 10,000 attendees that are ticketed and/or have controlled points of entry to a well-defined area, such as sport and music arenas and theme parks. This is similar to the requirement for vaccination verification or a negative test prior to entry at all indoor events and arenas with more than 1,000 participants; this requirement has been in place since August 18. Many mega event venues established verification systems during the spring in response to previous capacity restrictions and Public Health will offer large venues and organizers of mega events technical assistance to assist with implementation.

The requirement for vaccine verification for customers in the indoor portions of bars, wineries, breweries, distilleries, nightclubs, and lounges and their employees applies to drinking establishments with either no restaurant permit or a low-risk restaurant permit and requires that all customers and employees have at least one dose of the vaccine by October 7 and full vaccination by November 4. These establishments primarily serve adults and already require patrons to show proof of age; and while children do not usually enter these establishments, children under 12 are exempt from these requirements. Full vaccination verification for services in the indoor portions of restaurants is strongly recommended.

This modified Order aligns with the continued need to reduce risk for transmission and increase vaccination coverage offering a reasonable path forward.

Today, Public Health confirms 25 new deaths and 1,823 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 25 new deaths reported today, six people who passed away were over the age of 80, eight people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, seven people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach. To date, Public Health identified 1,440,721 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,799 deaths.

There are 1,156 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 29% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 8,434,000 individuals with 16% of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.6%.

Increasing the proportion of the population that is vaccinated remains one the County’s highest priorities. As of September 12, 91% of L.A. County residents 65 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, 77% of residents 16 and over and 76% of residents 12 and over. Sixty-seven percent of residents 12 and over have been fully vaccinated. Sixty-five percent of L.A. County teens between the ages of 12 and 17 received at least one dose and 56% are fully vaccinated. Out of the nearly 10.3 million L.A. County residents, including those who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, 65% have received at least one dose, and 58% are fully vaccinated. Countywide, nearly 68,000 third doses have been administered to immunocompromised people.

"Our hearts and thoughts are with those who have lost neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family during this difficult time; our prayers are with you,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “Persistent gaps in vaccination coverage should worry us all, as unvaccinated people are at significant risk of catching and transmitting the virus – and of even greater concern, are at risk for becoming severely ill or dying as a consequence of infection. Additional surges are likely in the absence of better vaccination coverage. As evidence mounts affirming the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, targeted vaccine requirements to protect the safety of populations at risk for infection are a critical part of policy strategies for preventing future surges of COVID-19. Targeted vaccination requirements are both able to create additional safety at workplaces, schools, establishments and events, and they also increase vaccination coverage in a community.”

Among the more than 5.4 million fully vaccinated people in L.A. County, Public Health identified 47,276 people fully vaccinated who tested positive for COVID-19 as of September 14. While this is an increase of 8% from last week, less than 1% of all those vaccinated have become infected with COVID-19. Of those who tested positive, 1,359 were hospitalized, up from 1,243 the week prior. This translates to 0.03% of all fully vaccinated people being hospitalized. Deaths in this group over this interval increased, from 165 to 199, to 0.004%. While not 100% perfect, the data provides reassurance that the COVID-19 vaccines provide excellent protection from COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. And because the vaccines don’t provide 100% protection, we need to continue to layer in other protections where there is high risk of transmission and vulnerable residents.

L.A. County continues to offer vaccines at many different sites across the county to make it as easy as possible for eligible L.A. County residents to get vaccinated. Many vaccination sites across the county, including all County-run sites, are also offering third doses of vaccine to eligible immunocompromised people. Once CDC approves booster doses for specific groups of high risk individuals, L.A. County will use its extensive network of over 1,300 vaccination sites to administer doses to those eligible.

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit:www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) andwww.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). 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. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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.