In Pittsburgh, a push to prioritize restaurant, hospitality workers for covid vaccines

Pittsburgh City Council members are calling on the state Health Department to add restaurant, service and hospitality workers to the prioritized group that’s receiving the covid-19 vaccines.

The measure, sponsored by Councilman Corey O’Connor, was unanimously approved Tuesday as a will of council. It asks Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam to expand the phase 1A eligibility pool to include the workers.

“It’s just trying to make them a priority,” O’Connor said.

Teachers were also added to the pool, which includes health care workers, nursing home residents and people over age 65 and those younger than 65 who have other health issues that put them at risk if they contract covid-19.

Council made the move because many restaurant and food service workers have worked through the pandemic and the increase in occupancy limits now puts them at greater risk of exposure to covid.

Making these workers eligible for the vaccine is also supported by the Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid, Pittsburgh Restaurant Opportunities Center and the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Bartender’s Guild.

Pennsylvania is nearing the 1 million covid case mark, according to the state Health Department.

As of Monday, more than 1.6 million Pennsylvanians have received either the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both shots of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and about 1.7 million have been given one dose of a covid vaccine. That amounts to just over 27% with partial coverage and just over 13% completely covered.

In Allegheny County, about 175,000 residents received either the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both shots of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and about 350,000 residents having at least one dose of a vaccine. That means 29% are at least partially vaccinated, while 14.4% are fully covered.