Philadelphia officials announced Monday that proof of a COVID-19 vaccine will soon be required to eat inside a restaurant or food establishment according to a report from ABC Action News.
The rollout begins January 3, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said. “Any place that sells food or drink to be consumed on-site will have to require that everyone who enters be fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” she said. For the first two weeks,
January 3 to January 17, establishments may choose to accept proof of the negative COVID test in lieu of proof of vaccination. “That negative COVID test must have been for the last 24 hours,” Bettigole said. “Then, after January 17, negative COVID-19 tests will no longer be accepted and everyone must have completed their primary COVID vaccination series.”
USN News stated: With colder weather driving people indoors and more holiday gatherings expected, Bettigole and Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the proof of vaccination mandate is meant to decrease the chance of transmission while preventing a shutdown of indoor dining like the closures in 2020 early in the pandemic.
“I don’t want to close our restaurants or other establishments that serve food. I want them to stay open and operate safely,” Bettigole said. Patrons and employees will have to start showing their vaccination cards on Jan. 3 to enter establishments where people eat together indoors, including movie theaters and cafes or bars inside larger establishments like stores or hotels.
