OLYMPIA, Wash. — Some hospitality workers are petitioning to become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Washington state.
An online petition organized by the Seattle Restaurant Alliance and the Washington Hospitality Association is an attempt to get the state to include restaurant workers in the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination plan.
"Restaurant and hospitality workers have been essential throughout the pandemic," a statement from the association reads. "As the state begins to reopen, other essential workers will have access to the vaccine this week — yet restaurant and hospitality workers still don’t know when they’ll be eligible. We’ve relied on restaurant and hospitality workers to keep us safe throughout the pandemic — now we can help protect them."
Indoor dining is expanding in Washington state, but restaurant workers are not included in the next phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The next vaccine phase, which is expected to begin March 17, includes high-risk critical workers in a wide range of industries, including grocery stores, food processing and agriculture. Most people in the hospitality industry will have to keep waiting, even as the state expands indoor dining to 50% capacity on March 22.
The Washington State Department of Health said it did not include restaurant workers because their employers can limit in-person interaction with takeout and delivery.