Food service industry workers turn out for vaccines by the 100s Thursday

IN time for the reopening of restaurants and fast food outlets, hundreds showed up at the Paddock, Queen’s Park Savannah on Thursday for their first dose of the Sinopharm covid19 vaccine.

There was an extremely long line at the entrance to the site by 8.30 am.

Last Saturday, the Prime Minister lifted restrictions on restaurants and fast-food outlets. From Monday, takeaway and delivery services will be allowed. Restrictions on in-house dining remain in effect.

Thursday was the first of four days set aside to vaccinate food and beverage workers at mass vaccination sites.

General manager of the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Association Hassel Thom told the media he was satisfied by the overwhelming response to the association’s calls for the workers to accept the vaccine.

Newsday understands over 3,600 workers from the sector registered for the vaccine.

Initially, the mass vaccination of the industry was expected to happen earlier this week, but Thom said the association needed more time to develop a system to encourage people to register.

Earlier this week, Thom said, over 60 per cent of workers were hesitant, but by Wednesday night more people became interested.

“We expect that in the coming days this process will be ramping up to numbers well above what the ministry has forecast in terms of people being able to be vaccinated.

“One thing that we are still trying to overcome is the level of vaccine hesitancy that we still have in the environment…What we're doing now is building awareness so we can reduce that hesitancy."

Thom blames misinformation for the high rate of vaccine hesitancy. He encouraged all workers in the industry to be vaccinated to have a better chance of fighting the fights.

"We want to have people weighing the odds – it's better to have it or it's better not to have it – and believe me, it's better to be vaccinated to be able to fight the covid19.

“They have to ask themselves how your body will cope with covid19 without a vaccine.

"Whether you believe it or not, we all have become frontliners, and we have to do our part in reopening the industry and other industries, safely."

Thom also pleaded with restaurant and fast-food outlet owners as well as customers to act responsibly to reduce the risk of covid19 spread.

Vaccination for workers in that sector will continue on Friday, next Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Asked for his thoughts on the decision by several popular food establishments only to allow vaccinated employees back to work, Thom said this move was never intended to force or discriminate against workers.

“Employers are committed to ensuring they provide a safe...working condition, which is the basis for any employee/workman establishment.

"However it was put across, I am assuming that was the intention, so they can provide a safe working employment environment for employees, so they can continue to do business, keep people employed, and of course, maintain their establishments."

He believes workers must also understand their role in the fight against the virus and preserving their jobs.

“It’s their responsibility to weigh the pros and cons, but employers...have been struggling...while closed and still trying to assist employees in some form of meaningful way, (so) that they can earn something. It has to be 50/50. We all have to play a part.

"Employers have been doing it by trying to keep people employed in whatever form or fashion. As an employee, it is also my responsibility to do what it takes to maintain our employment.”