Santa Cruz County has partnered with local chefs to offer COVID-19 vaccinations this week to those in the restaurant industry.
The four-day COVID-19 Restaurant Week event runs through Friday, culminating with a public vaccination event at the Santa Cruz Food Lounge from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the county.
Staff from Santa Cruz County Public Health will also provide small incentives in the form of gift cards to encourage restaurant workers to get vaccinated.
The public health department is collaborating with James Beard Award-winning food writer Andrea Nguyen and sommelier Jeff Bareilles, the former wine director of Los Gatos' Manresa, to promote vaccinations in the industry.
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"The Santa Cruz restaurant and food industry is an important part of our local economy and providing easy access to vaccine for restaurant staff is an effective way to keep our community healthy," Nguyen said.
Restaurants can sign up for a vaccination clinic at https://bit.ly/3mNwkZc. People who get vaccinated during Friday's clinic can receive a free drink from 11th Hour Coffee's menu and will be entered for a chance to win a signed copy of Nguyen's book, "Vietnamese Food Any Day."
Local information on the coronavirus pandemic can be found at https://www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus.
