City explores vaccine mandates for businesses
Long Beach, along with the rest of Los Angeles County, could soon implement COVID-19 vaccination requirements for entering certain types of businesses.
But in making that decision, city staff is taking numerous factors, including equity, impacts on businesses and access to essential services, into account.
That was one of the main takeaways of a discussion the City Council held Tuesday in which the city’s Department of Health and Human Services gave an overview of the coronavirus pandemic’s current impacts on Long Beach and how the city could move forward in trying to stem the virus’s spread.
The city’s coronavirus case rate is 24.1 per 100,000 people, and its positive testing rate is 7.1%, both of which are similar to what was seen in early February, before vaccines were widely available.
Officials, though, are hopeful the city’s vaccination rate will continue to increase. About 622 residents are getting vaccinated each day, a 72% jump from mid-July. So far, 65% of the city’s adults are fully vaccinated, and 76% of Long Beach adults have received at least one dose.
But cases, hospitalizations
and deaths continue to rise, so the city, in coordination with Los Angeles County, may soon take action similar to that of Palm Springs, which requires proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test to enter indoor bars and restaurants.
Palm Springs isn’t alone. Los Angeles has already asked its city attorney to draft an ordinance requiring proof of vaccination to enter indoor restaurants, bars, fitness centers, stores, spas and entertainment centers such as movie theaters.
Los Angeles County, meanwhile, is slated to discuss
the idea next week. (Because Long Beach operates its own health department, the city would not be subject to action taken by the county; Long Beach would have to update its own health order to implement a new vaccination mandate within the city.)
While Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services staff did not say outright that the city would align with L.A. County when it comes to new vaccination requirements, the department’s director, Kelly Colopy, said the city “would support a regional or statewide approach.”
Mayor Robert Garcia pushed her further on what that means.
“I know that the city of Long Beach currently is having active conversations with L.A. County,” he said, “and are monitoring the discussions around additional vaccination requirements for certain types of businesses. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” Colopy responded.
“And I know that it could be over the course of the next week or so,” Garcia continued. “It looks like a lot of those conversations around what could possibly be additional restrictions would likely come forward from the L.A. County health office, or perhaps our own health department. Is that something you’re expecting as well?”
“L.A. County will be
discussing next Tuesday,” Colopy said, “and we’ll know the forward motion. We will be paying attention to that.”
Colopy made clear, though, that a significant part of those discussions is how a requirement could be implemented without imposing an undue burden on residents or business owners.
Businesses essential for daily living, including grocery stores, banks and hair salons, for example, would fall into a separate category from restaurants and bars. And many businesses may need to hire more staff, invest in new technology and face more customer pushback if they were to implement a vaccination requirement, as well as the challenges of the city of Long
Beach’s own ability to enforce such a mandate.
And equity considerations would also come into play, Colopy said. Some underserved communities continue to be skeptical of the vaccine and the government’s role in administering it. Minority-owned businesses in low-income neighborhoods, meanwhile, may be hit the hardest by the required investments to come into compliance.
Vice Mayor Rex Richardson said he was glad to hear concerns about equity were being taken into account. But overall, he said, he supports additional vaccination requirements, especially if it prevents another economic shutdown or hospitals becoming overwhelmed again.
“My philosophy on this is: I’d rather take a pill to offset the heart attack,” he said. “Wearing a mask, getting the vaccine, that’s taking a pill to offset a massive cardiac arrest.” Garcia agreed.
“I believe this strongly; not everybody does, but the public good always trumps personal liberty,” the mayor said, “and the greater public good in public health has to be considered, first and foremost, greater than a person’s individual belief about their own personal liberty in that moment.
“I know that’s a difficult conversation, but it’s one that I believe strongly,” Garcia added. “I believe strongly the greater public good always must guide our work.”