- City officials in
Los Angeles voted Wednesday in favor of enacting the strictest COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the US, the Los Angeles Times first reported. - LA Mayor
Eric Garcetti is expected to sign the ordinance, which requires vaccines at gyms, cafes, and nail and hair salons, among other businesses. - The mandate is similar to one that went into effect in New York City last month.
Officials in Los Angeles on Wednesday voted to approve the most strict COVID-19 vaccine requirements in any major US city, requiring COVID-19 vaccinations at restaurants, movie theaters, malls, and hair and nail salons.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the ordinance passed the Los Angeles City Council by a vote of 11-2. Joe Buscaino, one of two council members who opposed the mandate, said he opposed the ordinance because he was concerned about how the mandate would be enforced, according to the Times.
Fellow council members struck down amendments he proposed to the ordinance, including one that would've made it a crime to interfere with any employee trying to enforce it, the LA Times reported. Councilman John Lee also voted against the legislation, calling it "arbitrary."
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is expected to sign the ordinance into law. The mandate would take effect on November 4 and apply to businesses that include restaurants, coffee shops, museums, gyms, and spas, per the LA Times.
The mandate is similar to one that went into effect in New York City in September, though is more comprehensive in that it requires the COVID-19 vaccine at shopping malls and at hair and nail salons.
According to data from the Los Angeles County Department of Health, 77.6% of all residents over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.