[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Los Angeles (LA) authorities in California, USA, are expected to implement measures requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination and testing in indoor facilities.
According to local media such as the LA Times on the 30th (local time), LA authorities have enacted an ordinance requiring guests to show their vaccination cards when entering indoor facilities and for business owners to verify customers' vaccination status.
According to the ordinance, both domestic and foreign visitors seeking entry to indoor establishments in LA must present a vaccination card issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or a vaccination certificate issued by another country's government.
Photographs of vaccination cards or electronic certificates downloaded on mobile phones are also acceptable.
The indoor facilities subject to the vaccination proof requirement include restaurants, bars, coffee shops, beauty salons, movie theaters, gyms, concert venues, and sports stadiums.
Businesses must verify that the vaccination certificate matches the customer's ID and confirm that at least 14 days have passed since the customer received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Janssen vaccine.
Businesses that fail to properly check vaccination certificates face fines of up to approximately 6 million KRW.
For a first violation, businesses receive a warning and correction notice; for a second violation, a fine of $1,000 (about 1.19 million KRW); for a third violation, $2,000 (about 2.38 million KRW); and for four or more violations, $5,000 (about 5.95 million KRW).
Additionally, LA city has mandated proof of vaccination or a negative test result within 72 hours for outdoor events with more than 5,000 attendees.
The ordinance took effect on the 18th of last month and, after a grace period, was fully enforced starting the day before yesterday.
The LA Times evaluated the vaccination proof mandate as a very important measure amid increased uncertainty in quarantine measures due to the emergence of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron.
Meanwhile, SoFi Stadium, where the group BTS's concert is held, is located in Inglewood, LA County, and thus follows the county's quarantine guidelines.
LA County requires proof of vaccination for indoor facilities such as bars and nightclubs, as well as outdoor events with over 10,000 attendees.
SoFi Stadium posted a notice on Twitter stating that it will implement a pre-verification system for vaccination certificates for BTS concert attendees.
SoFi announced that ahead of BTS's 3rd and 4th concerts scheduled for December 1-2, wristbands will be provided to attendees who present their vaccination certificates in advance to facilitate smooth entry on the day of the performance.
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