Pasadena, L.A. County Vaccine Requirements at Indoor Bars and Nightclubs, Outdoor ‘Mega Events’ Begin Thursday

Attendees and employees of indoor bars, nightclubs, wineries, breweries and lounges in Pasadena, as well as in greater Los Angeles County, will need to show proof of at least one vaccination dose starting Thursday, while admission to so-called outdoor “mega events” involving 10,000 or more people must show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the prior 72 hours.

Employees and patrons of indoor bars, nightclubs, wineries, breweries and lounges will be required to show proof of full vaccination by Nov. 4.

The policies are the result of mirroring health orders put in place last month by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, as well as the Pasadena Public Health Department. Children under 12 are exempt.

City officials noted that businesses that serve alcohol already require patrons to show proof of age.

“Although the new order does not apply to restaurants, vaccination verification for customers dining indoors is strongly recommended,” PPHD officials said in a written statement.

With respect to outdoor mega events, “Many mega event organizers have already established verification systems and are requiring proof of vaccination for patrons,” the statement said. “Pasadena Public Health Department is offering large venues and organizers of mega events technical assistance to comply with these requirements.”

PPHD officials detected 16 new COVID-19 infections in the city on Wednesday and reported one new fatality.

The death was that of an 80-year-old man who suffered from underlying health conditions, city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.

“This person’s onset aligned with the surge in August,” she said.

In total, the PPHD had documented 13,285 cases of COVID-10 and 363 fatalities.

The number of average daily infections in the city over the prior week was recorded at 11.4.

The Pasadena Unified School District reported 30 student infections and three infections among staff members over the past week.

Twenty-two of the student cases and two of the cases among staff members were listed in district records on Tuesday, including 16 student infections and one involving a staff member at Sierra Madre Middle School.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 1,479 new infections and 31 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the county-wide totals to 1,466,248 COVID-19 cases and 26,226 fatalities.

The number of patients hospitalized with the virus stood at 748, the agency said in a written statement. Twenty-nine percent of them were being treated in intensive care units.

Wednesday county-wide daily test positivity rate was measured at 1%.

L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said health officials would focus on helping businesses and organizations comply with the new requirements in the coming weeks and months.

“We are grateful for our partnerships with businesses and cities to promote safety for workers and residents,” she said.

“We do need to work together to improve vaccination coverage until we reach a vaccination level so high that the virus, or a new variant of the virus, would have trouble gaining traction,” Ferrer said. “The millions of individuals who remain unvaccinated unfortunately represent opportunities for viral transmission and mutation.”

The California Department of Public Health announced 5,386 new cases of the virus and 157 deaths across the state on Wednesday, raising the pandemic totals to 4,524,853 infections and 69,184 fatalities.

The statewide weekly positivity rate held steady at 2.5%, according to CDPH records.

As of Wednesday, L.A. County represented 32% of California’s COVID-19 infections and 38% of the state’s deaths.