The Los Angeles City Council will meet tomorrow to hold a second vote on an ordinance to require proof of Covid-19 vaccination to enter indoor facilities. The ordinance would affect business owners of gyms, salons, malls, restaurants and pretty much everything in between.

Some businesses have already started requiring proof of vaccination in an effort to enhance their safety protocols for customers and employees. Others — such as Universal Studios Hollywood, which announced last week that it would require proof of vaccination starting Oct. 7 — are following suit ahead of the vote.

But the ordinance adds to the pressure businesses are already facing by outlining fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 after a first warning if they’re in violation.

Companies rebounding from Covid’s impact now face the prospect of figuring out how to verify customers’ vaccination status.
 
“This, frankly, isn’t even fully on their radar yet,” Pat Nye, regional director for the Los Angeles Small Business Development Center Network, said.
The ordinance also poses an operational challenge with no one-size-fits-all solution.

If they can’t man entry turnstiles like Universal Studios, one option some business owners might be able to explore is repurposing existing touchless technology they’ve already put in place.
 
Restaurants, for example, that use QR code menu or touchless payment technology like that provided by Santa Monica-based Order For Me Co. could apply that same system to scanning customers’ approved digital vaccination records, according to Order For Me founder and Chief Executive Michael Jordan, who confirmed the capability via email.

“Utilizing QR codes seems to be becoming universal for things like menus and ticketing,” Nye said. “I think linking those systems to check digital vaccination records could be helpful. I do wonder about the legal implications, though.”

Business owners are not out of the woods yet in terms of revamping their operations in the Covid era. Businesses that can get creative with their existing tools, so that they can move forward quickly could potentially fare best. But, as Nye added, “A simple idea often has big ramifications.”