UPDATE (WKOW) – At Nonno’s Ristorante Italiano, owner Juan Murillo does not hesitate to come into the kitchen.
The news that he and his staff are eligible for the vaccine put him in a good mood on Friday.
“Being able to get the news today that we were able to get it, I think is a very good step and also that our customers feel safer when they come in,” he said.
Murillo says he and his eight employees were initially shocked that restaurant workers did not appear on the new fitness list released earlier this week.
“We’re all essential workers in the restaurant, we’ve been working from the beginning, so why not be included in the first place,” he said.
This news surprised almost everyone.
He says he is still trying to get everyone their vaccine to ask staff now to set their own appointments until a plan is developed.
He is not alone.
‘We talked internally and just tried to make the news known to everyone, just because it happened [Friday]”Eleanore Knauss, spokeswoman for Merchant and Lucille, said.” Only get registered with the state, get registered with walgreens if you can or at any pharmacy, but we will push very hard on our staff to be vaccinated as soon as they possibly can. ‘
Knauss says they only had one COVID-19 scare that caused them to shut down, and that was earlier in the week.
Now she hopes the vaccine adds the extra layer of protection to prevent it from happening again.
“Honestly, everyone is just delighted and relieved,” Knauss said.
And Murillo is excited to be busy again.
“I think it’s good now to move on to the next step and for customers to come in the door again,” he said.
MADISON (WKOW) – Restaurant workers are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Wisconsin.
Check out all of our COVID-19 vaccine coverage here.
The Department of Health Services (DHS) has updated its website to reflect that restaurant workers are immediately eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as part of the food supply chain group.
A DHS spokesman confirmed that the change was made to the website on Friday, saying the decision was in response to an increased supply of vaccines.
Click here to learn how to make an appointment to get a vaccine in Wisconsin.