The United States continues its mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19. New York City has already started to vaccinate its employees in bars and restaurants, The Big Apple’s main attraction and one of its biggest economic sources. “From now on, those who work in restaurants and drive taxis can now receive the coronavirus vaccine, ” indicated the mayor of the city before this new stage of the vaccination of the population.
And it is that the workers are already impatiently awaiting the arrival of their turn for the vaccination. Authorities have announced that on February 14, it will be possible to patronize the interiors of restaurants after months, if only at 25% of capacity. For him, Elena Manich, The owner of the Spanish restaurant El Born in the street of Manhattan (Green Point district) is already preparing her tables, while clearing the snow from her terrace, where she has been able to serve up to 20 people in these months, which is not enough for the business. stay profitable.
“We are ready to give them the vaccine as soon as we have it because the future of our city depends on it”.
– New York City (@nycgob) February 3, 2021
“I just spoke to the employees today to give them a letter while they are working here. What happens is that we entered the online page, but we still do not see the category of restaurateurs and we are waiting for it to be updated so as not to go to the vaccination site and be told that we cannot get vaccinated ”, Elena comments to the agency, excited and excited to be able to receive one of the doses. As Albert Williams, waiter at the Xilonen restaurant, who is already waiting for information from his manager to know when he will receive the vaccine.
Months away from establishments
The arrival of the coronavirus, last March, forced all bars and restaurants to close. Since then they have been able to reopen in the spring, although only on interior terraces and patios. It was only in the summer, with positivity figures below 1%, that the interior of the hotel industry could be used again, but only at 25% and closing weeks later with the arrival of the second wave of the coronavirus.
After months of work on the terraces and patios, They hope that the reopening of the interior of the establishments on February 14 will last much longer. Even this capacity increases over the weeks, making it possible to make business more and more profitable and to reactivate the economy which has suffered so much since last year. And, they hope, the vaccine will also help make that possible.
In addition, the reopening will come on one of the most celebrated days in the United States: Valentin’s Day, with phones already ringing to make restaurant reservations across town. “February 14 is Valentine’s Day in the world, But here they take it very seriously so it’s scary to take reservations for that day and then the numbers go up and they won’t let us open at the end, so a little bit of uncertainty, but hopefully they will let it open up, ”Elena said to ..
Government assistance, the key for businesses
It is not difficult to know that the hospitality industry has been one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic. They have been closed for months, or at the minimum of their occupation, and surviving has become a challenge for them. In New York, with the help of the government, businesses were able to stay afloat, Although many are hoping to get a second help, to be able to face the months that remain until they return to the normality they knew before the arrival of the coronavirus last March.
“Without this help it is impossible, We threw away savings, where we could throw away, but there also comes a time when the money is thrown away ”, says Elena, owner of the Spanish restaurant, before adding, in a burst of optimism, that she hopes that in the spring “Everything is going to explode and business is going well.”
Taxi drivers and home delivery drivers are also waiting for their vaccinations
The hotel industry will not be the only beneficiary of the vaccination campaigns in the coming days. Taxi drivers and home delivery people will also be able to go to vaccination centers to receive the first of their doses. Juan Jara, food delivery man for the Grunhub app, applauds the authorities’ decision. You can now feel more secure in your work which he went with “fear” because “a lot of people don’t use a mask.”
“Okay, because we like delivery people (distributors) we are at great risk outside, on the streets, all the time. With the vaccine, I know that we must continue to protect ourselves, but the risk is less ”, abandons Juan Jara.
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