Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group will require indoor diners and drinkers at its restaurants to show they’ve been vaccinated against Covid. The mandate also applies to current employees and new hires.
The announcement, which Meyer made on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” comes as concern around the highly contagious delta variant increases and U.S. officials try to combat Covid vaccine hesitancy and resistance among some Americans.
Meyer, founder of Shake Shack and chairman of the fast casual chain’s board, said that company will make its own decision regarding vaccines.
“Shake Shack will make the appropriate decision for them at the appropriate time,” he said.
A number of government and private-sector entities have taken a harder line on vaccine requirements for employees in recent days, steps some believe is critical to increase the vaccination rate in the U.S. after it has slowed dramatically from its spring peak.
About 57% of the U.S. population has received at least one Covid vaccine dose and 49.3% are fully vaccinated, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Coronavirus cases have surged in recent weeks, prompting the CDC to reverse course on its prior mask guidance. The public-health agency is now recommending fully vaccinated Americans in places with high Covid infection rates start to wear face coverings indoors again.
