Colorado Restaurant Workers Moved Up In Vaccine Rollout Schedule

Restaurant workers across Colorado are being moved up in the vaccine rollout schedule, says president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, Sonia Riggs.

Gover Jared Polis' office confirmed on Tuesday, February 2, that foodservice workers will now be included in Phase 1B.3. The other groups in the phase include grocery store employees, public transportation operators, and people ages 16 to 65 with at least two "high risk" health conditions.

Before the new update, restaurant workers were included in Phase 2. Phase 1B.3 is expected to start receiving the vaccine in early March.

Phase 1A, 1B.1, and 1B.2 are all ahead of Phase 1B.3. Those phases include health care workers, first responders, teachers, and people 65 and up.

Riggs told Denver7 that the CRA lobbied the state to make sure the restaurant industry was included in the 1B phase.

“Restaurants are providing an essential service to people, and there are a number of people out there who are in those high-risk populations who are counting on curbside pickup, especially delivery as a safe way to get the food that they need these prepared meals,” she said.

On Saturday and Sunday (January 30 - 31), Colorado held one of the largest mass vaccination clinics in the nation. Health care workers vaccinated 10,000 seniors in the parking lot near Coors Field.

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