Morning Brief: Indoor Vaccine Mandates, Nursing Home Oversight, And Frenchtown

Good morning, L.A. It’s Oct. 7.

L.A. City Council voted yesterday to tighten the restrictions on vaccinations and indoor public spaces.

In addition to a county regulation that requires customers and employees to show proof of vaccination at bars, lounges, clubs, wineries and breweries, the city will require proof for entering indoor public places, including restaurants, shops, gyms, salons, movie theaters and more.

The law was passed with 11 city council votes, and signed by L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. West Hollywood has enacted a similar regulation.

Businesses that refuse to enforce the L.A. City rule will face fines, beginning at $1,000 for the second violation (a warning is issued for the first violation) and going up to $5,000 fine for a fourth violation.

People who seek an exemption for medical or religious reasons can show a negative COVID-19 test from the prior 72 hours. L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez was careful to point out that this isn’t a vaccination mandate; it still allows for personal choice.

“No one is forcing anyone to get vaccinated,” she said last week. “But if you don’t, there are certain things you will not be able to do without showing proof of vaccination.”

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Lawmakers at a hearing in Sacramento this week demanded dramatic changes to the state’s nursing home licensing program, citing a recent investigation by LAist.
• Indigenous land acknowledgment isn’t new, but the practice has become more visible in the U.S. in the last several years.
• Benjamin List and David MacMillan received the Nobel Prize for developing a new kind of catalyst, a substance that can drive a chemical reaction. MacMillan received his Ph.D. at UC Irvine. 
• West Hollywood is enacting a vaccine mandate for indoor spaces similar to the law just passed in L.A.

Before You Go ... The History Of LA's Frenchtown

The exterior of Taix French Restaurant, located at 321 Commercial St. in downtown Los Angeles. City Hall and the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office are visible in the background. (circa 1956) (Security Pacific National Bank Collection/Los Angeles Public Library Collection)

The area of L.A. now known as Chinatown was, once upon a time, called Frenchtown. LAist contributor Hadley Meares writes:

Read the whole story here.