Los Angeles County will join the state in removing the requirement that attendees of indoor mega-events such as sporting events or concerts must show proof of a Covid vaccination or test negative, LA County health officials said today.
According to the County Department of Public Health, the requirement will be lifted on April 1 in cooperation with the state, which is also lifting the mandate.
The move follows the lifting of other Covid restrictions in the county – such as But the borough’s roughly 3 million residents who live in the city of Los Angeles aren’t so lucky.
Under the Public Health Ordinance signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti on March 4 this year, “a Covered Location must require each Patron to provide proof of vaccination upon entering an indoor area of a Covered Location. A Covered Location must request proof of vaccination upon the Patron’s first in-person interaction with staff. A Covered Location must match photo identification with immunization records for each customer who appears to be at least 18 years of age. Subject to the exceptions below, a Patron is not permitted to enter an indoor area of a covered location without proof of vaccination.”
Covered locations, as defined by the city, include gyms and fitness centers, businesses that provide personal care services, businesses that provide beverages and food, and the following:
Entertainment and recreation venues, including but not limited to, movie theaters, music and concert halls, live performance venues, adult entertainment venues, commercial event and party venues, sports arenas, convention centers, exhibition halls, museums, shopping malls, malls, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys , arcades, card game rooms, family entertainment centers, playgrounds, billiard and billiard halls and other recreational game centers …
Even as they lifted restrictions today, county health officials continued to urge precautions against the spread of the virus, noting that the BA.2 subvariant of COVID-19 is slowly starting to spread locally and is likely to gain a stronger foothold in the county , mirroring the pattern seen overseas and in some East Coast cities.
In the week ended February 26, 6.4% of all Covid samples analyzed for variants were found to be the result of BA.2, a more contagious offshoot of the Omicron variant that has fueled the recent winter spike in infections . That was up from 4.5% the week before.
Health officials noted that while the percentage is still low, it is finally starting to rise significantly after weeks of hovering around 1%. They said BA.2 is currently estimated to be responsible for 23% of sequenced cases nationally, while accounting for 39% of infections in some areas of the Northeast. The proportion of new Omicron cases is much, much higher abroad, and the variant now accounts for 75% of all new cases worldwide.
“The increasing presence of the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant in many regions of this country reminds us that we must remain vigilant and prepare for the possibility of additional cases in the near future,” said Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, in an explanation. “And while discouraging to face
This possibility is the best way to mitigate a further increase in cases from increasing hospitalizations and deaths, increasing vaccinations and booster vaccination. Given the compelling evidence that the vaccines continue to protect against all variants and their wide availability, residents and workers are urged to use the next few weeks to keep up to date on their vaccines.
“Waiting until we see an increase in cases is not optimal as there is already more community transmission as more people test positive,” she said.
Health officials continued to urge people to take precautions – including masks – in crowded situations, although they are no longer mandatory.
The county on Monday reported 935 new Covid infections over the past two days, bringing the cumulative number throughout the pandemic to 2,825,423.
Another 29 deaths were also confirmed by the county, bringing the total death toll to 31,491.
According to government figures, there were 404 Covid-positive patients in county hospitals as of Monday, up from 422 on Sunday. Of these patients, 65 were treated in intensive care, up from 71 the day before.
The total number of hospitalizations has not been this low since July 2021.
The moving average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus, which had remained largely unchanged at 0.7% over the past week, was 0.6% Monday, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Health.
According to the county, as of Thursday, 75% of eligible county residents ages 5 and older were fully vaccinated. However, only 30% of children aged 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated, the lowest rate of any age group.
The City News Service contributed to this report.