Vaccination proof required to eat inside Oakland restaurants

OAKLAND, Calif. - No shoes? No shirt? No vaccine card? No service.

Beginning Tuesday, if you want to eat inside a restaurant, bar or café in Oakland, come prepared.

"You will need to present verification of your vaccination status before you're seated inside," said Lev Delany, executive chef and co-owner of Chop Bar in Oakland's Jack London Square.

This applies to guests 12 and up. Adults must also show ID. There are similar mandates for indoor businesses in San Francisco and Berkeley.

"We got to do our part," Delany said. "We're on board with it. Personally, I like having a mandate so we don't have to argue with people about it."

He won't have to argue with Diego Gomez, a Chop Bar customer. 

"I follow rules, like with my job. They tell you something to do, I do it, you know? I just try to help out the community any way that I could," Gomez said.

Oakland City Councilmember Dan Kalb introduced the emergency ordinance, which also applies to entertainment venues, theaters, gyms and large indoor events.

"It's all done very reasonably and logically. Common-sense logic is really what's going to rule the way that this is implemented," Kalb said.

The ordinance will remain in effect until any state of emergency in the city is lifted, he said.

"The first time that a restaurant owner or a business or a gym fails to comply, they'll get a warning letter. And then after that, they'll be subject to fines," Kalb said

Oakland restaurants and gyms began posting notices a couple of weeks ago alerting customers about the requirement.

"I think you have to take it in stride," Delany said. "There's been a lot of changes. Some are no too terrible, like all this outdoor seating we have, started because of the pandemic."

Oakland is allowing exceptions for those who can show proof of a medical exemption and a recent negative COVID test.

Those who are just picking up food, placing an order or using the restroom won't need to show their vaccination cards.