The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services is now requiring people to show proof of vaccination at indoor bars, wineries, breweries and distilleries that do not serve food (establishments that are 21+) the City announced Wednesday, Sept. 15. This is in line with current policies by the County of Los Angeles.
Although the Health Department doesn’t require proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, it strongly recommends that restaurants adopt such policies on their own.
According to a City press release, people 18 to 34 years old are the least likely to be vaccinated and are catching the virus at higher rates than other age groups.
Indoor bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries have been identified as high-risk settings and have the highest rates of maskless interactions. These businesses already require customers to show identification before entering and have procedures in place to ensure compliance. Indoor bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries are regularly patronized by people in their 20s and 30s, who are the least likely to be vaccinated.
Large outdoor events with 10,000 or more people will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of attendance. Attendees at indoor events of 10,000 or more people are already required to do so.
The City of Long Beach has already implemented these rules for the Acura Grand Prix which will take place from Sept. 24 to Sept. 26.
The Health Department will release an updated health order by the end of this week. Customers and staff at the identified businesses will be required to be partially vaccinated by Oct. 7 and fully vaccinated by Nov. 4.
As of Thursday, Sept. 16, there have been 62,825 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Long Beach. 60,117 have already recovered, and 995 people have died. There are currently 88 individuals hospitalized in Long Beach area hospitals, 52 of them being Long Beach residents.