Proof Of Vaccination Or Negative Test To Be Required At These CoCo Businesses

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa County residents must soon show either proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test to enter certain businesses.

The order kicks in Sept. 22 and will apply to businesses such as restaurants, fitness centers, bars, entertainment venues and other indoor places where people remove face coverings to eat or drink, Contra Costa Health Services announced Tuesday. Workers in these businesses must either show proof that they are fully vaccinated by Nov. 1 or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.

Patrons who want to show proof that they are fully vaccinated must present a valid photo identification and one of the following.

• A vaccine card from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• A copy or photograph of a vaccine card.
• A digital vaccine record from the state.
• Documentation from a health care provider.

Unvaccinated patrons must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within the past three days.

Sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine in Contra Costa.

“This order is necessary now to save lives, protect our overburdened healthcare system, and slow the pandemic enough to keep our schools open,” said Dr. Chris Farnitano, Contra Costa County Health Officer, in a statement. “Reducing community transmission of the virus now is key to preventing future spikes in cases from overwhelming our county’s hospitals during the winter months.”

The order comes as Contra Costa and other regions continued to grapple with the highly contagious delta variant, which caused a surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The latest wave of new infections was dubbed a "pandemic of the unvaccinated" by officials in California and elsewhere.

In Contra Costa, unvaccinated residents faced COVID-19 case rates five times higher, hospitalization rates 16 times higher and death rates 22 times higher, according to the county. Nearly 96 percent of Contra Costa's COVID-19-related deaths have been among unvaccinated people.

The peak of the surge appears to have passed, according to the county. But Contra Costa's daily case rate remains as high as it was in February 2020.

The county said it saw 20 COVID-19-related deaths from Sept. 1 to 7 and 15 from Aug. 25 to 31 — the two highest weekly death tolls since March.

Nearly 85 percent of Contra Costa residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.