Portland restaurants launch petition asking city for indoor vaccine mandate
Last week as she watched COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Portland and around Maine, Kate Klibansky decided to write an email to the owners and managers of the restaurant where she works suggesting they consider implementing a vaccine mandate.
“It wasn’t an ultimatum or a strong request, it was just me asking them to consider what information is out there and to consider implementing this policy that could have influence across Portland,” said Klibansky, who works as a bartender at Eventide Oyster Co.
Klibansky’s request worked. The restaurant group Eventide, owned by Big Tree Hospitality, has now launched a petition drive with other restaurants asking the Portland City Council to consider a vaccine mandate for certain indoor spaces including, but not limited to, restaurants.
“We believe that such a mandate is in the best interests of both the public health and the workers of businesses that are dependent on serving the public in settings that necessitate the gathering of people and often the removal of masks,” reads the petition, which as of Tuesday had been signed by nine restaurants besides Big Tree, which also runs Honey Paw and Hugo’s in Portland. There were more than 170 restaurants and bars in Portland as of July 2018, according to Press Herald archives.
Read more: https://www.pressherald.com/2021/12/28/portland-restaurants-launch-petition-asking-city-for-indoor-vaccine-mandate/