Most Californians support a COVID vaccine requirement for indoor businesses, poll shows

A majority of Californians supports requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering large outdoor gatherings or certain indoor spaces such as restaurants, bars and gyms, according to a new poll.

The survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 61% of California adults favor that kind of vaccine mandate. The PPIC surveyed 1,706 adults, over both land lines and cellphones, between Aug. 20 and Aug. 29.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has already implemented a vaccine mandate among state workers, who must present proof of vaccination or submit to regular COVID-19 testing. His administration is also requiring health care workers to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Several Democratic lawmakers recently floated a bill that would have required Californians to prove that they are fully vaccinated before entering into businesses, and also require workers to show proof of vaccination or submit to regular testing. They postponed the proposal until the next legislative session begins in January.

The new survey shows vaccine mandates are especially popular among Democratic voters, with 83% saying they support them. Among independents, 52% support a vaccine mandate while just 29% of Republicans do.

The Bay Area had the strongest backing for vaccine mandates, with 72% of Bay Area residents in support. Elsewhere in the state, 54% of Central Valley residents support a mandate, as do 45% of Inland Empire residents, 67% of Los Angeles residents and 58% of Orange County/San Diego residents.

Women (66%) are more likely to support a mandate than are men (55%), according to the survey.

Latinos (67%) and Asian Americans (66%) showed the strongest support for a vaccine mandate, followed by white people (59%) and Black people (54%).

The PPIC survey found that a little more than three-quarters (77%) of Californian adults have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, while 10% of adults said that they will definitely not get the vaccine.

Asian Americans (86%) were most likely to be vaccinated, followed by whites (78%) and Latinos (77%). Blacks were least likely to say they had been vaccinated, with 66% saying they were and 13% saying they would not be.

The survey found that most California adults (78%) felt that the state has done at least a good job of handling distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.