LA begins enforcing strict mandate requiring proof of vax

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Enforcement began Monday in Los Angeles for one of the strictest vaccine mandates in the country, a sweeping measure that requires proof of shots for everyone entering a wide variety of businesses from restaurants to theaters and gyms to nail and hair salons.

While the latest order aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus took effect Nov. 8, city officials spent the past three weeks providing business owners the information and resources business they need to comply.

“Nobody wants to penalize anyone,” said Sharon Tso, the city's Chief Legislative Analyst, whose office drafted the enforcement rules. “That's why we've been prioritizing education.”

A first offense will bring a warning but subsequent ones could produce fines running from $1,000 to $5,000. Inspectors with the Department of Building and Safety will enforce the mandate, and the city hopes to eventually get assistance from the LA County Department of Public Health, Tso said. She didn't immediately know if any warnings or citations were issued on Monday.

Los Angeles is among a growing number of cities across the U.S., including San Francisco and New York City, requiring people show proof of vaccination to enter various types of businesses and venues. But rules in the nation’s second-most-populous city, called SafePassLA, apply to more types of businesses and other indoor locations including concert halls, museums and convention centers.

A sign reminding customers to be prepared to show their vaccine cards hangs at the Muddy Paw Coffee Shop in the Eagle Rock neighborhood, where owner Darren Laborie said he's thankful that the vast majority of his regulars have happily complied with the shifting regulations over the past year and a half.

“We have to adapt to whatever rules are coming at...