[Update 2:20 pm ET: This story has been updated to include news that today San Francisco announced a vaccination requirement.]
The Los Angeles City Council voted 13-0 on Aug. 11 to have a draft ordinance written requiring people entering indoor spaces, including health clubs, to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, according to media reports. Once the ordinance is written by the city attorney, the council will vote to approve. No date was offered for that vote.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed also announced on Aug. 12 that her city will require proof of full vaccination for anyone wanting to enter indoor venues, such as gyms, according to the Associated Press. Details on when this mandate goes into effect are forthcoming.
The mandates in both cities will also impact restaurants, retail space, theaters, stadiums and concert venues.
The Los Angeles ordinance will require patrons have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The San Francisco ordinance requires full vaccination.
New York City implemented a similar requirement last week that goes into effect on Aug. 16. It requires proof of only one shot.
Equinox and SoulCycle had announced the day prior to de Blasio’s announcement that they would require proof of vaccination to enter their facilities in New York and would roll that requirement out in other cities in the coming weeks.
Yahoo News quoted Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez as saying: "If we ever want to get back to normal, to what Los Angeles was like pre-COVID, we need to stop the spread. If individuals want to go to their gym, go to their local bar without a mask, you need to get vaccinated. And if you want to watch a basketball game, a baseball game, go to a concert in a big venue, or even go into a movie theater, you need to get a shot."
Health clubs in unincorporated Los Angeles County also may soon face similar requirements as the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted on Aug. 10 to investigate its options for vaccine requirements for entry to indoor spaces. Los Angeles County already requires masks be worn in indoor spaces, including gyms, regardless of their vaccination status.
On Aug. 6, after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the vaccination requirement in New York City as part of his Key to NYC Pass, IHRSA, the trade association for health clubs, released the following statement:
“The health, safety, and well-being of health club members is—and always has been—the utmost priority of the industry. IHRSA believes that all health clubs must adhere to best practices and government guidelines.
“We know that vaccines are a critical tool against COVID-19 and for getting us out of this pandemic, so too is exercise. Many health clubs offered their facilities as vaccination sites and support the vaccinations of their members. As a natural extension of the healthcare continuum, health clubs are essential to public health, and they should remain open and therefore take the necessary steps prescribed by government to stay open.”