New York City this week became the first in the nation to require proof of vaccination in order to partake in several types of indoor activities, including restaurant dining. Neither Boston, nor Massachusetts more broadly, has required the same thing from the top-down level, but some local restaurants have taken it upon themselves to require proof of vaccination for entry. Jim Braude was joined on Greater Boston by one such restaurateur who has been doing so for several weeks now — Tracy Chang of Cambridge’s PAGU — and by Bob Luz, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.
Chang says that nine out of 10 guests are supportive and appreciative of the requirement to show proof of vaccine at her restaurant. “We wanted to take the right precautions and do the right thing,” she said. “It’s not a common practice now in Massachusetts, and we’re hoping that changes, especially as the Delta variant grows more perilous.”
Requiring proof of vaccination would put a burden on restaurant workers themselves, who have already had to police mask wearing during the pandemic, Luz said. “We don’t believe the government should put enforcement abilities on under-staffed and over-stressed restaurant employees,” he said.
WATCH: Should Mass. do like NYC and require proof of vaccination at restaurants?
