The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday that requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all city employees.
The only exemptions will be for certain medical conditions or "sincerely held religious beliefs." Requests for an exemption would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Employees who qualify for such an exemption would be subject to weekly testing if they are required to regularly report to a city worksite.
Non-exempt employees must receive their first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer two-dose vaccine no later than Sept. 7 and their second dose no later than Oct 5.
The ordinance passed unanimously, 13-0. Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson and John Lee were absent from the vote.
The law now goes to Mayor Eric Garcetti for his signature.
Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas told KNX the ordinance is about keeping all Angelenos safe.
“It is high time that those who have the responsibility of serving the public do so from the vantage point of being safe. It’s a matter of public health. It’s a matter of public safety," he said.
Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell also expressed his support for the ordinance. He said that, at this point, a mandate is necessary.
“I want to compel every sensible person to take a look at the science, take a look at the data and take a listen to medical care professionals. That’s where the source of truth is everything else is conspiratorial nonsense,” he told KNX.
Council President Nury Martinez and Garcetti announced the move to require city employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at a July press conference.
Martinez called the recent surge of new cases "a pandemic of the unvaccinated."
Garcetti emphasized the important role city workers played during the pandemic while urging residents to get vaccinated.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our city workers or concerned about their health and their well-being,” said Garcetti.
"The city’s goal is to have a vaccinated workforce," according to the language in the draft ordinance. As such, employees will not have the option to “opt-out” of getting vaccinated and show proof of weekly negative tests instead.
The ordinance does not explain what happens if an employee without an exemption refuses to get vaccinated. Details in the final bill are still being hammered out with public-sector unions. Law enforcement unions have been among the loudest critics of a vaccine requirement for their members.
The City Council already voted last Wednesday to have City Attorney Mike Feuer draft an ordinance that would require proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before people can enter indoor public places. However, Councilman John Lee announced he will not support the ordinance and wrote in an email to constituents that such a law “would essentially be ineffective.”
The ordinance would apply to venues such as concert venues, movie theaters, gyms, restaurants and bars.