On Vaccinating the Hospitality Industry
Presently, Maine is working its way through category 1A of the distribution process, which is focused on frontline healthcare workers and residents of long term care facilities. Once this has been completed, the Maine CDC says it will move to 1B and then 1C, which both address "essential workers," along with older folks and those individuals deemed to be at greater risk.
Categories 2 and 3 will complete the vaccination process with members of the general population. There has been no indication when the subsequent categories will begin or when the entire process will be completed.
It is important to note that National CDC does not mandate distribution policy, they leave this up to each state based on their individual situation. So, Maine CDC will decide on the vaccination priority and we need to be sure that the hospitality industry is well considered in this.
What is HospitalityMaine’s position?
We believe restaurant and hotel workers should have the opportunity to be vaccinated in the "essential worker" category. If the administration believes that our industry is contributing to community spread – something that has not been proven with any scientific data – then it makes sense for them to offer vaccinations to our at-risk workers as soon as possible.
Our view is that hospitality workers should be in the same grouping as grocery store workers, who are slotted for category 1B. We expressed this view in a letter to the governor nearly a month ago. We have not received a response.
We are not advocating that people should or should not be vaccinated, but that our industry workers must have that opportunity as soon as possible.
It appears to be safe so we expect that the vast majority of people will want to be protected. Still, there are many legal questions, such as whether a business can require this for employment, or whether being vaccinated removes the testing requirement to enter the state. These are separate issues where we are also closely engaged.
The main issue at the start of 2021 is that we have 28,000 unemployed hospitality workers. To get these talented people back, and to begin rebuilding our industry, requires them to feel safe on the job. Similarly, for the majority of the public, either locally or from out of state, to return in significant numbers requires the same thing. The sooner we can start rebuilding; the better for Maine’s economy.
Action item: Express your views to the Governor, or to the Commissioner of Health and Human Services (Dr. Shah’s boss). They are considering this now, so act swiftly.
Thank You,
Steve
Steve Hewins
President and CEO
HospitalityMaine
