Following the wise lead of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Berkeley has taken the next step in keeping its residents safe from COVID-19. On September 10, a vaccine card mandate was instituted in Berkeley for attending public spaces such as gyms and restaurants. Before entering indoor facilities that serve food and beverages, offer entertainment, or provide opportunities for exercise, customers and employees will have to show proof of vaccination. The vaccine card mandate for indoor gyms and restaurants in Berkeley is both effective and beneficial in keeping the citizens of Berkeley safe.
Requiring proof of vaccination is a highly effective way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. If only the vaccinated are permitted to use and work in indoor public facilities, then the spread of the virus will significantly decrease. Even though the vast majority of vaccinated individuals are not going to seriously experience harmful side effects of COVID-19, they are still carriers that could pass the virus on to people who are unvaccinated.
Let’s not overlook the fact that children under the age of 12 cannot be vaccinated yet and are still at a high risk of being infected with COVID-19. Families of children under the age of 12 wouldn’t be putting them at such high risks if the places they worked at and attended were occupied only by people who are vaccinated.
The vaccine card mandate will also positively impact the economy in Berkeley. In order for our economy to thrive, businesses and companies need to be open, which would be impossible if another COVID-19 wave hits. Once again, people would lose their jobs and many businesses would be forced to shut down, which our economy can’t afford. The vaccine card mandate for restaurants and gyms will help reduce and control the spread of COVID-19, keeping companies open.
Additionally, the mandate for the vaccine card will motivate people to get vaccinated. Once unvaccinated individuals realize that they can’t enjoy the pleasures of working out at the gym, going to their favorite restaurant, or even going to the movies after a long day of work, they will understand the limitations that being unvaccinated has placed on them. If more people get vaccinated, the spread of the coronavirus would decrease and the transmittable variants wouldn’t affect people to the serious extent that they do currently.
Although some will argue that the vaccine card mandate is decreasing personal freedoms, the overall picture can prove otherwise. Let’s not forget that the vaccine card mandate is for Berkeley, and there have been countless chances for its citizens to get vaccinated. It is not even necessary to mention that there are still vaccination sites that offer the COVID-19 vaccine. With this said, few in Berkeley can use the excuse that they couldn’t receive the vaccine, preventing them from entering and using indoor facilities.
The people of Berkeley must get vaccinated for the overall wellbeing of the city and themselves, and the vaccine card mandate to enter public and indoor spaces is an excellent way of ensuring safety in our community.