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Faced with the increase in covid cases – 19, the supervisors of the Los Angeles County is analyzing that proof of vaccination is required to enter public places.
It will be this Tuesday 10 August when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors votes on Supervisor Janice Hahn’s proposal that in two weeks, the Department of Public Health give them a report on how the new provision would work.
“To prevent future outbreaks and the circulation of new variants, especially now that we are approaching autumn and winter, we must consider whether it is necessary to implement additional measures such as the requirement of vaccination for certain places, ”Hahn said in his motion.
Indicated that the county has proactively promoted the vaccines by providing incentives and partnering with trusted community organizations to encourage residents to get vaccinated against -covid.
However, nearly 4 million people in Los Angeles County are yet to be vaccinated and the pandemic continues to spread more easily indoors, crowds and other environments where unvaccinated people are in close contact.
Last week, the city of Los Angeles presented a similar proposal to require proof of at least one dose of vaccination against covid, when entering the interiors of public places.
The Department of Public Health reported that in the last two weeks, the number of people hospitalized has doubled by covid. “There is 1,437 currently in hospitals, against 745 of the 16 of July”.
Most of the cases correspond to unvaccinated people. “ Between May 1 and 17 July, 92% of the 3, 158 people hospitalized for covid were not fully vaccinated ”, they revealed.
On Monday, August 9, 2 , 919 new cases and 6 deaths from coronavirus.
“The significant increase in hospitalizations is a major concern. But with the effectiveness of the covid vaccines, we are confident that more people will be vaccinated during this time of high transmission, ”said Bárbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Director of Public Health.
He noted that throughout this pandemic, people who living with chronic diseases have suffered serious consequences when acquiring the virus.
“Chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity dramatically increase the risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from covid. That is why vaccination is particularly important for people living with these conditions. ”
Ferrer urged those who suffer from chronic diseases to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Permission to vaccinate
This Tuesday 10 August, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is also expected to vote in favor of a motion by Supervisor Hilda Solís to extend paid leave to employees, so that work is not a barrier to not getting vaccinated against covid – 19.
“As cases and hospitalizations continue to increase, we must do everything possible to lower barriers to accessing our best tool to slow the spread: vaccines. This will give residents working in unincorporated areas of the county the time they need to receive these life-saving doses. ”
In addition, with this motion, the County is preparing to take advantage of federal funds that ensure that small and medium-sized companies are equipped to support employees who need to get off work to get vaccinated.
The motion will extend the employee’s paid leave to give them access to vaccines in Los Angeles County until 14 days after the local covid emergency ends – 19.
Also directs the head of the office of administrative affairs and government relations, in consultation with the Department of Consumer and Business (DCBA), advocate for increased federal funding for small and medium businesses to alleviate the costs of providing the Paid leave for employees to be vaccinated.
And asks the director of the DCBA to develop an education and outreach plan to maximize awareness of these benefits, which includes partnering with unions, community organizations that advocate for workers, labor centers and agencies.
To find a vaccination site near you, schedule an appointment at the sites of vaccination and much more, visit: http://www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and http: //www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you lack Internet access, cannot use a computer, or have more than 65 years, you can call 1 – 833 – 512 – 0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site; or schedule a home visit if you are not at home.