The City of Charleston recently voted to approve the extension of outdoor dining through January of 2022.
Charleston City Council approved the new ordinance, which allows restaurants to expand their outdoor dining areas onto private and public property. The tourism and hospitality industry has certainly been hit hard by the pandemic so officials are hoping this provides some aid to restaurants and restaurant workers as they navigate this difficult time.
This move comes in the wake of a push from some South Carolina lawmakers to get restaurant workers vaccinated as soon as possible.
South Carolina Representative JA Moore introduced a concurrent resolution to “intensify efforts to restore the state’s hospitality industry by prioritizing hospitality workers in COVID-19 testing and including hospitality workers in Phase 1A of this state’s vaccine distribution plan.”
As a former hospitality worker himself, Moore explained the need to vaccinate restaurant workers saying, “We have so many men and women in our industry who have been risking their lives to feed people in South Carolina, so I think it’s important we protect them.”
Currently, restaurant workers are in Phase 1C of the vaccination rollout plan.