Chicago- Restaurant workers can get vaccinated starting March 29

Currently, Chicago is in Phase 1B, which began on Jan. 29 and includes frontline essential workers — including grocery store workers — and Chicagoans 65 and older. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced at the end of January that Chicago would enter Phase 1C at the end of March, which includes residents age 16-64 with underlying medical conditions and all other essential workers, including the foodservice sector.

Barring no challenges to the current plan, restaurant workers will be eligible to receive vaccinations starting March 29.

Colorado- Restaurant workers will be able to get vaccinated starting in early March

Colorado restaurant workers have moved up in the vaccine rollout schedule, the Colorado Restaurant Association told The Denver Channel on Feb. 2. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis confirmed that restaurant workers will be considered part of Group 1B3, which should begin in early March, though an exact timeline is dependent upon vaccine availability.

Detroit- Restaurant worker eligibility began Feb. 2

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced the expansion of vaccine eligibility to foodservice workers — including restaurant, grocery store workers, and any food/beverage handling worker — on Feb. 2 after the city received 15,000 new doses of the Moderna vaccine.

“Food service workers play a critical role in our economy and touch all of our lives, so I’m pleased that we are now able to offer the vaccine to them,” Mayor Duggan said in a statement.  “This new expansion potential allows even more Detroiters and essential workers greater access to the vaccination and hopefully keeps another group of frontline workers protected from this terrible disease.”

Long Beach, Calif- Restaurant worker eligibility began Jan. 22

Although most of California is still prioritizing vaccines of frontline workers and the elderly, Long Beach announced the distribution of vaccines to most workers in the foodservice sector starting Jan. 22, with education workers soon to follow.

"We have expanded to also food workers and this includes cooks in restaurants, people that are working in supermarkets and bodegas, and folks who are handling food at distribution centers," said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia in a press conference when announcing the expanded eligibility at the end of January.

Delivery drivers like Uber Eats and Grubhub drivers were not considered part of that group.

Massachusetts- Restaurant workers will become eligible in the next two months

Like most states and cities still around the country, Massachusetts has not made the COVID-19 vaccine available for restaurant workers yet. Phase 2 — which includes all Massachusetts residents 75 or older — began Feb. 1 and will include four priority groups. Restaurant workers are in the third group of the second phase of the vaccine rollout and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker recently confirmed to Eater that the four groups of Phase 2 will happen from February through April. This means that barring any distribution challenges or vaccine shortages, restaurant workers will be able to receive the vaccine over the next two months.

New York – Restaurant worker eligibility began Feb. 2

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Feb. 2 that New York State restaurant workers and taxi drivers can be included in Phase 1b, which began on Jan. 11 and originally included adults 65 and older, grocery workers, first responders, education staff, and transit workers.

"Restaurant workers now are going to be in enclosed places with people eating and drinking," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "Every doctor [advising the city] or anyplace else will say that's an area of concern. We have to protect the people who work in our restaurants. 

Philadelphia- Restaurant worker eligibility beginning soon

The city of Philadelphia entered Phase 1b — which includes “food prep, service and distribution” workers — on Jan. 19, a full week ahead of schedule. However, Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told reporters that the highest-risk people that meet the phase 1b requirements will be prioritized first (including those with high-risk medical conditions like diabetes) and that it could take “many weeks” to get through the list of eligible groups in Phase 1b. Although food service workers, educators or childcare workers have not yet been “called” they are in the same priority group.

Washington, D.C.- Restaurant worker eligibility began Feb. 1

Restaurant workers in the Washington, D.C. area — including Virginia and Maryland — became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Feb. 1, NRN reported in early January.