Philadelphia restaurant mandates proof of vaccination to dine inside amid rising COVID cases
"It's mainly for our community and our staff members," said owner Olivia Caceres.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With COVID-19 numbers on the rise, one Philadelphia restaurant has now implemented its own policy when it comes to getting in.
Martha Restaurant in Kensington posted on their Instagram account Saturday that customers will need to show proof of a COVID vaccine to dine inside.
"It's mainly for our community and our staff members," said owner Olivia Caceres.
But she also says if you don't have proof of vaccination, there's still a spot to dine.
"We are only requiring proof of vaccination for indoor dining. If for any reason you cannot provide proof of vaccination, we have plenty of seating at our outdoor patio space," added Caceres.
The Action News data team took a look at the numbers over the last two weeks in the tri-state area.
The data shows that positivity rates are on the rise, with New Jersey seeing the highest this week, at a rate of 2.8%.
In Pennsylvania and Delaware, the rate is at 2.6%.
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Hospitalizations are also up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a whole, and in New Jersey.
However, in Delaware, there is no change.
As far as vaccinations in adults, New Jersey has had the most success, with 70.3% of adults vaccinated as of Thursday.
Delaware stands at 63.2%, and Pennsylvania is at 62.8%.
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Owner Qamara Edwards of Sor Ynez in Kensington says she's worried about another setback.
"People don't feel secure in this industry anymore because of the roller coaster of opening and closing. So, we want to make sure we're not subsiding any momentum. We want to stay open. We want to be successful," said Edwards.
She says her new restaurant can't afford to go in reverse.
"We want to make sure we're encouraging people to be in this industry. Encourage people that this is a way to make a livelihood and support their families. We need people to take care of themselves, so we don't have to shutdown again," she added.
Some Philadelphia residents also expressed concern as masks once again are slowly returning.
"I'm just kind of over them. I just feel people need to get vaccinated so we can stop wearing them," said Jenna Moore of South Philadelphia.
Paul Carter of Northeast Philadelphia said, "I'm going keep my mask on because you don't know who's vaccinated and who is not."
Right now, masking in Philadelphia is just recommended indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
As for the State of Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf recently announced there will be no new mask mandate.
