Washington Hospitality Association: Requiring proof of vaccine needs to be consistent

Starting Oct. 25, residents of King County will need to either provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test to go indoors for recreation or entertainment. But while some individual restaurants and bars have spoken out in favor of the policy, the Washington Hospitality Association doesn’t believe it’ll have a positive impact on the spread of COVID-19.

Vaccine requirements in Clallam, Jefferson counties part of ‘social contract’

WHA President and CEO Anthony Anton says you need only look at Clallam and Jefferson counties for evidence of that.

The Olympic Peninsula counties have required proof of vaccine to enter bars and restaurants since Sept. 4, 2021.

“It has not decreased the [COVID] case counts as the policy makers were hoping, and it has not increased the vaccination rate,” Anton claimed.

That said, Clallam County’s seven-day rolling average of daily COVID-19 cases has dipped slightly over the last month, having gone from 68 on Sept. 4 to 37 on Sept. 21. Jefferson County’s rate since it implemented new vaccine requirements has similarly declined, with its seven-day rolling average of daily cases dropping from 14 to 6 during that same period.

The hospitality industry as a whole has long argued that it’s been the target of COVID restrictions. That being so, Anton says policies should be more community based and uniformly enforced.

“You can dine at the airport without a vaccination card, but not across the street,” he pointed out. “You can go into retail and grocery stores … without a vaccination card, but not in our local restaurants.”

And at businesses where COVID rules are in effect, it’s often front-line, low wage workers who have to enforce them.

New King County vaccine requirement a ‘sensible step,’ say health officials

“I just talked to a diner operator up on the Peninsula,” Anton described. “He had a hostess quit after being screamed at three times in one day.”

Anton stresses that the industry wants to do its part to help fight the pandemic, but should be consulted when health departments and government agencies develop COVID rules.

“We want to be part of that table,” he said. “We’re asking for (policy makers) to include us.”

He says businesses also need time to figure out how to best implement new policies, and to give their employees de-escalation training for unruly customers, so they can deal with situations where people are resistant to complying with vaccine and mask mandates.

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