‘Mad or nah?’: Philly residents react to restaurants requiring proof of vaccination

Tamara Russell, aka P.O.C., hit the streets of Philly to see how residents are feeling about the growing list of restaurants requiring proof of vaccination to dine indoors.

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Diners eat and drink at the Hungry Rhino restaurant in Windsor Locks, Conn., Friday, March 19, 2021. Beginning today, limits have been lifted at Connecticut restaurants, non-theater indoor recreation centers, libraries, museums, aquariums, gyms and fitness centers, retail shops, offices, personal services establishments and houses of worship. Mask-wearing, distancing and cleaning protocols will still be required. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Diners eat and drink at the Hungry Rhino restaurant in Windsor Locks, Conn., Friday, March 19, 2021. Beginning today, limits have been lifted at Connecticut restaurants, non-theater indoor recreation centers, libraries, museums, aquariums, gyms and fitness centers, retail shops, offices, personal services establishments and houses of worship. Mask-wearing, distancing and cleaning protocols will still be required. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Just as normalcy appeared within reach, the coronavirus delta variant issued a reminder that the pandemic isn’t over. In Philadelphia, where only 62% of the population is fully vaccinated, positive tests now make up more than 5% of results, a level at which the Center for Disease Control recommends mask-wearing indoors and social distancing.

But many local restaurateurs and bar-owners are taking their mitigation plan a step further: requiring proof of vaccination to dine and drink indoors. Reaction to this news has been mixed, with some praising the regulation as smart business and others framing the new COVID restriction as a form of discrimination.

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Tamara Russell, aka P.O.C., hit the streets of Philadelphia to further explore how residents are feeling about the growing list of restaurants and bars requiring proof of vaccination to gain entrance.

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