Morning Brief: LA Vaccination Requirements, A Child Care Contract, And In-N-Out Fries

Good morning, L.A. It’s July 28.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in L.A. despite 62% of the eligible population being vaccinated, officials announced yesterday that city employees will either need to provide proof of vaccination, or submit to weekly testing.

My colleague Jackie Fortiér reports that the decision will impact about 60,000 city employees, including the police and fire departments.

The announcement comes on the heels of Monday’s news that all California state employees will need to prove they are fully vaccinated or undergo routine testing. The same goes for health care workers — including in private hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices. The cities of Long Beach and Pasadena recently announced vaccination requirements for city workers as well.

Yesterday, L.A. County health officials confirmed more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases, along with 15 additional deaths.

The vast majority of severe COVID-19 cases are occurring among unvaccinated people. County public health director Barbara Ferrer said that cases among vaccinated people rarely require trips to the emergency room.

"Vaccinated people ... are primarily experiencing their infections not as severe illnesses, but as bad colds,” she said.

More than 800 people in L.A. County are now hospitalized with the coronavirus. About nine percent of them were vaccinated, according to Ferrer.

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

What Else You Need To Know Today

• Prominent Democratic Party fundraiser and gay rights activist Ed Buck was found guilty in connection with the deaths of two men at his West Hollywood apartment.
• In a response to Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s efforts to block oversight of his troubled department, L.A. County officials approved a motion that would force him to provide access to all deputy discipline files and body-worn camera video to the Office of Inspector General.
• Cal State University students, faculty members and staffers must be fully vaccinated to attend in-person classes or activities.
• A new bill gives priority to affordable housing non-profits over current El Sereno tenants in purchasing Caltrans-owned property.
• College students with kids could face new challenges as campuses reopen.
• The child care providers union announced a successful vote to ratify its contract with the state this week.

Before You Go ... How To Order In-N-Out Fries That Don't Totally Suck

Photo illustration of fries that probably taste better than In N Out fries.

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butenkow

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Getty Images/iStockphoto

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We love In-N-Out Burger. We discuss it on the radio. We cover the company’s political donations. We'll fight you if you talk smack about it. But as much as we love the sinner, we hate the sin — and In-N-Out's original sin is their fries.

The fries at In-N-Out are pale, limp, under salted potato tubes that begin congealing into a soggy, oily mass the moment they emerge from the fryer. God forbid that you wait until you're done with your burger to eat the fries. By that time, they're hot garbage — except that they're cold.

But ... there are ways around the terribleness.