July 27 (UPI) -- An organization of hundreds of bars and restaurants in the city of San Francisco announced that all members decided to offer in-house service only to patrons who show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus.
The San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance announced the decision in a statement Monday, stating as of Thursday it's official position is that "any customer who wishes to remain inside our establishments show proof of vaccination or a 72-hour negative COVID-19 test."
"Guests without these verifications are welcome to sit outside in parklets or other spaces we offer," it said, adding, "It will be up to each individual bar to decide how best to enforce" this new rule.
The statement was issued as cases have been surging since the end of May when they counted between 500 and 1,000 daily infections, according to state data. Last week, the states recorded a recent high of 6,251 infections.
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The alliance said the decision was made to protect their workers, customers and families and that they hope it will convince people who are vaccine hesitant to get the shot.
"We understand that the only way our society (and our businesses) can ever return to true normalcy is through high rates of vaccinations among our residents -- not just in San Francisco but across the United States of America," it said.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed welcomed the move.
"This is a responsible decision by the SF Bar Owner Alliance that will help protect employees and customers," she said in a tweet. "We need everyone to get vaccinated, especially as the Delta variant continues to spread. It's how we can keep our city and our residents safe."
The announcement was made on the same day California mandated all state workers in healthcare and other high-risk settings to show proof of full vaccination or be tested once a week starting next month.
