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Phase 1C opens vaccine eligibility to food service workers

Food service workers are among the Pennsylvanians who will become eligible for the vaccine when the state moves into Phase 1C on April 12.

LANCASTER, Pa. — Food service workers are among the Pennsylvanians who will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine when the state moves into Phase 1C on April 12.

After more than a year of strict safety protocols, some said they should have been more prioritized in the vaccine eligibility schedule.

“I do think a lot of waiters, waitresses, people like me should have been eligible sooner,” said Amanda Myers, an employee of Lancaster Pickle Company in downtown Lancaster. “We are in close proximity with the public and we are handling their food.”

Phase 1C will last only one week before Pennsylvania shifts to Phase 2, opening eligibility to everyone.

Some people eligible in Phase 1C said they were anxious that a week would not be enough time to find an appointment before clinics get bogged down by another surge of vaccine seekers.

“We're dealing with people every single day who come from all over the area and it's just kind of upsetting to a certain point that we were kind of overlooked to be in that first round of vaccines, even the second round, you know?” said Andrew Discavage, a bartender and server at Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar in Lancaster.

Others weren’t worried about finding an appointment, as the federal government has continued to steadily increase vaccine allocations.

“I hear there are a lot of openings,” Myers said. “I even see postings on Facebook from other people that they have a lot of openings at this place or that place.”

Sara Shomgard, a server at Harvest who got the vaccine last week at the Lancaster County Community Vaccination Center, said waiting did have at least one benefit: clinics have optimized the vaccination process.

“It was very easy. There were so many appointments available and upon arrival everything was worked out very nicely, planned well,” Shomgard said.

Restaurant workers said they were already seeing a difference in their vaccinated customers.

“There were regulars last week that we haven't seen for a whole year,” Discavage said. “It's a good feeling to see them coming back. “

Discavage said he felt hopeful that with the protection of the vaccine, he could also return to some of his pre-pandemic activities.

Phase 1C also includes essential workers in transportation and logistics, housing constructing, finance, legal service and media.

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