Cook County urges restaurant workers to get vaccinated
FOREST PARK, Ill. - A new initiative is encouraging Cook County restaurant workers to get vaccinated.
Cooks, servers, managers and others are being invited to any one of the six mass vaccination sites in the county.
Mondays are now "Restaurant Days" at all Cook County mass vaccination sites and it’s not just county health officials, the Illinois Restaurant Association is behind this effort.
With COVID restrictions loosening at restaurants, they say now is a good time for food service employees to get their vaccines.
FOX 32 talked to restaurant managers and owners who came to the vaccination site in Forest Park Monday, some waiting to greet their employees to get their vaccinations.
"They believe that vaccinating restaurant workers is keeping them safe to make sure that our restaurants stay open and also to safeguard for a guests as well. it’s a really important factor. They go hand-in-hand. safe staff members serving our guests," said Donnie Madia from One Off Hospitality.
Maria Philippou, manager at Charlie’s Restaurant, said it's a positive sign of the industry bouncing back.
"I am all for it. a lot of our employees have already been fully vaccinated so it’s a great way Everyone’s getting everybody vaccinated so we open up sooner. Business is already picking up."
No appointment is necessary to show up at any mass vaccination site in Cook County.
All of the sites are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m..