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WHEREAS, on March 15, 2021, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that, effective April 4, 2021, self-certified restaurants, which include those that have agreed to comply with all relevant public health safety guidelines, may increase indoor dining occupancy capacity from 50 percent to 75 percent, while those that don't self-certify may raise capacity to 50 percent, in addition to increases in permitted occupancy for various other related industry sectors, including service and hospitality businesses; and
WHEREAS, according to the current vaccine distribution schedule and eligibility guide issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, workers in the restaurant, service, and hospitality industries are slated to become eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccinations during Phase 1C, which is the second-to-last Phase currently planned; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has remained in Phase 1A of vaccine distribution for approximately three months, indicating that workers in the restaurant, service, and hospitality industries who currently won't be eligible for the receipt of vaccines until Phase 1C, will most likely remain ineligible at the time of the occupancy capacity increase the state will permit effective April 4, 2021; and
WHEREAS, many individuals in need of the vaccine are currently eligible, including the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions that make them especially susceptible to Covid-19, as well as essential workers from a variety of industries, such as health and healthcare delivery, childcare, education, home care, transportation, agriculture, and more. These individuals and groups have rightly been prioritized for many reasons; and
WHEREAS, countless in the restaurant, service, and hospitality industries, many of whom were deemed essential staff for essential businesses during the pandemic, have fared poorly in the last year as they faced of significant loss of income, greatly reduced job security, and, according to a recent stud...
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