As the Delta variant of the coronavirus has become the most predominant variant in the United States and medical experts issue confusing advice, restaurateurs find themselves once again making difficult decisions on health mandates. Many, where laws allow it, have taken that to a new level this week, requiring their patrons to bring proof of vaccination before dining, the New York Times reported. “For us, it’s really just a preventive measure to make our employees and our diners feel safer,” said Patricia Howard, the owner of Dame, a seafood restaurant in Greenwich Village. Her restaurant’s new vaccination policy, which applies to diners outdoors as well as indoors, was announced to customers on Wednesday on social media. Many restaurant owners said that as infection rates have risen recently, they began to consider setting their own safety rules. But the announcement on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that vaccinated people should resume wearing masks indoors added new urgency, prompting some owners to make drastic decisions to respond to a much more contagious variant. In states including California and New York, some restaurant owners are mandating vaccines for customers and employees, and reinstating older health protocols like requiring that both groups wear masks. But in states like Florida and Arkansas, which have had huge spikes in coronavirus cases, laws are more stringent. Businesses are not allowed to ask customers for proof of vaccines, and local governments cannot issue mask mandates.
