San Francisco bar owners take proof of vax into their own hands

SAN FRANCISCO (NEWS 1130) — While many in Canada and B.C. are cautious about taking a “no proof of vaccination, no service” approach, some south of the border are not.

A bar association with about 500 establishments in San Francisco, Calif., is laying down their own law — relegating those who can’t prove their vaccination status to stay outside.

Head of the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance (SFBOA) Ben Bleiman says with cases spreading even among vaccinated staff, they needed to up protection and he isn’t worried what the unvaccinated think.

https://twitter.com/ben_blei/status/1419740621552578560

“You can refuse service to anyone, as long as they’re not a protected class in America. And last I checked, morons who are choosing not to take a miracle drug are not a protected class,” Bleiman says.

They’re fed up with unvaccinated people putting their vaccinated staff, and ultimately their businesses, at risk.

“Before it was some virus that was stopping us, and now it’s a bunch of narcissistic, selfish people who think they know more than 99 per cent of the scientists, and we’re just tired of it. We need them to cut it out and stop acting like spoiled brats,” he says.

Related Articles:

• B.C. restaurant industry faces labour shortage crisis amid peak summer season

• Buy a burger, help support B.C. wildfire relief efforts

• Seattle looks to welcome Canadians back as COVID travel restrictions ease

In a statement released to twitter, the SFBOA says effective July 29, any customer who wants to be inside an alliance’s establishment must show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours.

“Guests without these verifications are welcome to sit outside in parklets or other spaces we offer,” it reads.

Concerned about the risk to his families in the industry, Bleiman does not mince words.

“I’m tired of it being my problem. They should go get a therapist and take a vaccine, and stop making it our problem. We’re trying to operate businesses … we have families mouths to feed, and they’re screwing it up for everyone else,” he says.

In B.C., head of the Restaurant and Food Services Association Ian Tostensen says while he’s concerned of increasing clusters, especially at pubs and bars in the Interior, proving immunization is too hard. However, he is urging owners to put pressure on staff to get vaccinated.

“[The] pressure is not to shame people. It’s to give them some encouragement, give them a bonus, give them a day off, give them something to say, ‘this is really important to work in the hospitality industry,’ because this is our future,” he says.