MOTION-- Mitigating the COVID-19 Pandemic by Requiring City Employees and Contractors Receive COVID-19 Vaccinations
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the California Department of Public Health, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, COVID-19continues to pose a significant public health risk, especially as cases surge with the highly infectious spread of the Delta variant. Without additional interventions, infection rates will continue to increase, and the unvaccinated, including children, and the most vulnerable of the vaccinated - the elderly and the immunocompromised - will be most at risk of hospitalizations and death. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent transmission and limit COVID-19hospitalizations and deaths. Yet, 16 months into the pandemic with widespread availability of vaccines, only 2,202,429 of City of Los Angeles residents aged 16+,representing 67.3% of the City's population, have received vaccinations. More specifically, only 46.6% of the County's African American population and 56.0% of the County's Latino population have been vaccinated. As a result, a full reopening and recovery from the pandemic and achieving herd immunity continue to be out of reach.
In the wake of rising COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, the City of Los Angeles (City) has a responsibility to set an example for the public that it serves and accelerate higher vaccination rates going forward.
The City must provide a safe and healthy workplace, consistent with COVID-19public health guidance and legal requirements, to protect its employees, contractors and the public as it reopens services and more employees return to the workplace. Unvaccinated employees are at greater risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19within the workplace, and risk transmission to the public that depends on City services.
To best protect its employees and fulfill its obligations to the public, the City should require that all employees, including within proprietary departments, and contractors be fully vaccinated and their vaccination status should be verified based on established protocols and standards. Individuals with a medical condition or restriction should be allowed to request a reasonable accommodation.
WE THEREFORE MOVE, that the City Administrative Officer, Chief Legislative Analyst, Director of Personnel and City Attorney, in consultation with labor representatives, report back in fifteen (15) days on a proposed policy to require that all City employees and contractors, as a condition of employment, (1) be fully vaccinated from the COVID-19 virus; and (2) report their COVID-19 vaccination status to the appropriate City department.