A Goose Creek lawmaker is calling on the state to reclassify hospitality workers as members of Phase 1A of the South Carolina vaccine distribution plan, moving them to the forefront of coronavirus vaccines.
Dep. JA Moore introduced the simultaneous resolution on Tuesday, which he says represents an opportunity for elected officials to serve the people who served them during the pandemic.
“We have so many men and women in our industry who have risked their lives to feed people in South Carolina, so I think it’s important to protect them,” says Moore, a caterer who has spent nearly two decades in the e-food industry of drinks.
Restaurant workers are currently in the Phase 1C group, along with people aged 65 to 70 and younger people with designated underlying health conditions. Agricultural workers and grocery workers are classified as Phase 1B.
It is unclear exactly when restaurant staff will be eligible for vaccination if they remain in Phase 1C, although the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control is planning to start “in the early spring”.
Prior to the state this week expanding Phase 1A to include people aged 70-75, that top priority group was estimated at 353,000 people. South Carolina has so far received 233,600 doses of vaccine.
Deployment plans in most states generally reflect the plan adopted by South Carolina, which is based on the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But some counties are trying to speed up food service workers: Washington DC, for example, plans to start vaccinating people who work in the city’s restaurants by February 1.
When the CDC released its recommendations, the National Restaurant Association lobbied for hospitality workers to be upgraded to Phase 1B, so that they “safely sell and serve healthy food.”
The staggered vaccination schedule contributed to safety concerns for restaurant staff, said Moore: He heard from employees who fear that guests will not observe COVID protocols after being vaccinated.
According to Moore, there is also an economic reason to vaccinate restaurant workers immediately. He points out that restaurants and bars that deal with severely reduced revenues cannot afford to lose days of operation to an outbreak of employees.
Still, he acknowledges that other workers interacting with the public on a regular basis can justify why they should be vaccinated earlier. Since he started presenting his proposal, he has been contacted by many educators who believe they deserve a higher position on the state’s priority list.
These calls and emails make the difference, says Moore. He is counting on his fellow food and beverage workers to get in touch with his representatives, as he would like to see the SC Chamber pass its resolution before the session ends this week.
John Zucker, owner of Cru Cafe, says he has closely monitored vaccine launches: across the country, 25.5 million doses have been distributed, although just under 9 million doses have been administered.
“They seem to be so late with the vaccine that I honestly fear that my team will not be able to get it until at least the summer,” he says.
He continues, “I accepted a long time ago that we would be on our own to overcome this, but my anger has recently surfaced with our government’s lack of empathy for the people of this country. “
If restaurant workers cannot get access to vaccines by summer, adds Zucker, he does not expect to return to normal before the end of 2021.
Reach Hanna Raskin at 843-937-5560 and follow her on Twitter @hannaraskin.