As COVID-19 cases climb again, more Seattle bars, restaurants are requiring proof of vaccination

Popular nightclubs Queer Bar, The Cuff Complex and The Woods announced Tuesday that all three venues will require proof of vaccination to enter from July 30th.

“We know that the only way to get nightlife back to normal is by increasing vaccination rates among our residents, not just in Seattle but across the country. 1,969,300 people aged 21 and over have been vaccinated in King County so far – we’re doing the job Seattle – let’s cross the finish line, “the owners wrote in an Instagram post.

The Doctor’s Office, a cocktail bar that opened shortly before its nationwide shutdown in 2020, also announced this week that it will require proof of vaccination or a negative test within 48 hours for back office staff starting August 1. The owner said anyone who causes difficulties for employees with this new policy will be banned for life.

Other popular bars and restaurants, including CC Attle’s in Capitol Hill, the Archipelago in Hillman City, and the Addo in Ballard, have issued similar guidelines.

Also, expect more people to mask themselves in restaurants. While King County has not issued another mask mandate, the county’s top health officer recommended that residents wear masks again in public indoor spaces.

“Universal indoor public masking provides a more reliable way to ensure everyone is safer for now as we watch the current increasing disease trends,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County’s public health officer, on Friday.

Despite what some high-profile Republican lawmakers and quarterbacks have said, asking for proof of vaccination doesn’t violate the protections of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and it’s legal to ask if someone has been vaccinated. The indication of the vaccination status remains a personal decision.

“HIPAA doesn’t stop anyone from asking anything,” Alan Meisel, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, told the Associated Press. “It prohibits certain health care institutions from disclosing certain health information about patients.”